Don’t read this: AI and the end of human literacy

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Faculty of Arts, the University of Melbourne

Public scholar and librarian Tracie D. Hall takes a sobering look at what the rise of machine-learning could mean for human literacy.

G06 Theatre - Lecture Theatre, Elisabeth Murdoch Building (134), University of Melbourne

Civic Stories in an Age of Polarisation

The Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative presents a series of timely conversations about literature’s unique ability to illuminate truths and inspire societal change with three leading scholars from the US, Australia, and the UK.

<h4>Don’t read this: AI and the end of human literacy</h4>We are exposed to an unprecedented amount of information through the internet and social media, but current research indicates that actual reading (the conversion of data to knowledge) is declining. As we grapple with the ethics of AI and algorithmic decision-making, research shows that activities that have traditionally informed basic literacy and civic fluency are under threat. Tracie D. Hall, winner of the prestigious Medal for Free Speech and Expression from the Roosevelt Institute, draws on her longstanding work on book censorship and the criminalisation of reading across leading democracies, to take a sobering look at what the rise of machine-learning could mean for civic literacy in order to refresh and recast her ‘fight of the century’ for the right to read freely.

<h4>Presented by Tracie D. Hall</h4>Public scholar, strategist, and librarian, Tracie D. Hall is the currently Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at the University of Washington Information School. She is the immediate past Executive Director of the American Library Association (ALA), the oldest and largest library association in the world, serving library and educational institutions throughout and beyond the US. The first Black woman to helm ALA in its nearly 150-year history, Tracie is currently at work on a comprehensive study of the history of book censorship in the United States as she continues her activism in defense of intellectual freedom and the right to read.Tracie holds dual Bachelor’s degrees from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and Master’s degrees from the Yale University School of International and Area Studies and the University of Washington Information School, and her work in library and arts administration has focused on advancing early and adult literacy, expanding broadband access, advocating for library and literacy services for people who are incarcerated.The recipient of numerous awards for her professional and civic contributions, Tracie became only the second librarian to be honored with a National Book Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. In 2023, she received the Literacy Leader Award by scaleLIT; was named to TIME Magazine’s inaugural 100 List of the Most Influential People; and followed Rep. John Lewis and journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones in receiving the Medal for Freedom of Speech and Free Expression from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Institute for her work defending intellectual freedom and the right to read.

<h4>This event is part of the series 'Civic Stories in an Age of Polarisation: The New Humanity Makers'</h4>The <a href="https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/public-humanities-initiative" title="https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/public-humanities-initiative" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative</a> in the Faculty of Arts is pleased to present a series of timely conversations about literature’s unique ability to illuminate truths and inspire societal change, with leading scholars from the US, Australia, and the UK.Amidst concerns that social media, rapid news cycles, and polarised political opinions hinder civic debate, how can the practices of reading and writing enable us to communicate across difference in meaningful, productive ways? What role do our institutions play in not only reflecting society’s attitudes and values but also challenging them? How do the stories nations tell uncover deep-seated concerns about both the past and the future?In conversation with the Boisbouvier Chair in Australian Literature, Professor Tony Birch, three leading scholars from the US, Australia, and the UK bring to life the work of the public humanities, offering vital insights into issues of access and equality, public discourse, and the transformative power of civic storytelling.<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/civic-stories-in-an-age-of-polarisation-3531709" title="https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/civic-stories-in-an-age-of-polarisation-3531709">View the full program here.</a>

Questions?Contact arts-tickets@unimelb.edu.au

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