Natural Intelligence in Search of Ways to Apply Artificial One (Results of the Scientific and Practical Conference “The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Library and Information Activities”)

The article is an analytical review of reports and presentations made at the scientific conference “Application of Artificial Intelligence in Library and Information Activities” and held by INION RAS on May 29, 2024. The current state of Artificial Intelligence (AI) use in libraries in Russia and neighboring countries is described, including examples of the use of neural network applications in commercial projects and libraries of various types. Particular attention is paid to the experience of the Russian State Library, which actively uses ready-made software solutions and develops its own AI products. Among the problems hindering the active implementation of AI in library practice, the following are highlighted: insufficient awareness of librarians about the capabilities of AI, imperfection of currently existing applications, high corporate information security requirements, and the lack of labeled datasets for training neural networks. The challenges for librarianship associated with the spread of AI are also considered, including the possibility of replacing the traditional functionality of librarians with the work of artificial neural networks. The main areas of prospective development of artificial intelligence in librarianship include the creation ofsystems for collapsing information about documents and systems for advisory reading. The current tasks, which constitute a whole new area of work for libraries, include users training in AI tools, which is designed to give the audience a clear understanding of the capabilities and limitations of GPT systems. It is emphasized that the development of artificial intelligence can lead to a radical change in the role of libraries in the structure of information exchanges, which requires the librarianship to carefully study the situation and adapt to new technological conditions. 

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