Librarian Charlie Bailey in South Philadelphia held a workshop titled "Avoiding AI" for about 20 adults, teaching participants how to turn off AI features on devices such as Apple Intelligence and Gemini.

The session follows similar classes started by librarian Hannah Cyrus in Maine, who began offering the workshop after receiving many requests about disabling AI tools. Cyrus' first sessions in Bangor attracted roughly 70 participants through in‑person and livestream attendance.

Bailey structured the hour‑long workshop with an overview of AI chatbots, explained why people might use or avoid them, and demonstrated step‑by‑step instructions on a projector. Attendees shared tips, such as appending "&udm=14" to Google searches to hide AI results, and expressed frustration with AI being integrated into everyday tools.

Bailey described the initiative as digital literacy and a way to help people reclaim autonomy over technology use. Cyrus noted that forced adoption of AI could be concerning and emphasized that the workshops focus on agency rather than rejecting technology.

The workshops aim to empower users to manage AI use on their devices, reflecting growing public skepticism about AI integration and suggesting continued demand for such training.