School libraries use ChatGPT to check whether books contain sex scenes, and 19 titles are banned
The Mason City Community School District, which provides education to the area centered around Mason City, Iowa, USA, has used ChatGPT to check the contents of books in school libraries in order to comply with a new law requiring that books not contain depictions of sexual acts.
19 books pulled from Mason City school libraries | The Gazette
School district uses ChatGPT to help remove library books | Popular Science
https://www.popsci.com/technology/iowa-chatgpt-book-ban/
Using GPT-4 for content moderation
https://openai.com/blog/using-gpt-4-for-content-moderation
The Gazette, a local newspaper in Iowa, reported on August 11, 2023, that the Mason City Community School District used artificial intelligence software to review the contents of books and removed 19 books from its library.
The Gazette did not reveal the name of the specific AI used to verify the book's contents, but an investigation by science news media Popular Science revealed that the AI software in question was ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI.
Here's a list of the 19 books banned from Mason City Community School District school libraries:
Among the books removed from the school are works that have been translated into Japanese and are widely loved by Japanese people, such as Margaret Atwood's '
According to The Gazette, the disciplinary action is related to a new law that just went into effect in Iowa in July 2023. The law, which amends the state Board of Education's rules, includes a ban on instruction related to gender identity and sexual orientation, and also requires that all books available to students not contain 'verbal or visual depictions of sexual activity.'
However, combing through the library's vast collection of books to find references to sexual activity is a daunting task, and with the new school year starting in September in the United States, there's very little time left before new students start school.
The state's education department has therefore compiled a list of books that are often problematic, used AI to check whether they contain sexual depictions, and will remove them from libraries based on the results. The 19 banned works will be stored until further review. Books kept in classrooms other than libraries will be inspected by school teachers.
Perhaps in response to the growing need for AI-based regulation, OpenAI published an article on its official blog on August 15th claiming that 'GPT-4 is possible for content moderation.' According to OpenAI, using large-scale language models like GPT-4 will enable faster content labeling and response to policy changes, completing tasks that would take months with traditional methods in just a few hours.
In the American education system, which is currently in the midst of a debate over LGBT education and sex education, Shakespeare's works, including 'Romeo and Juliet,' were recently restricted on August 8, 2023, due to their vulgar depictions.
Shakespeare's works banned in Florida schools for being 'sexualized', teachers say 'the world is laughing at us' - GIGAZINE
'Our classrooms and libraries house a vast collection of books, including purchased, donated, and existing collections. Reading through all of these books and filtering them to meet new requirements is simply not feasible,' Bridget Exman, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the Mason City Community School District, said in a statement. She explained that the district was forced to use AI to quickly adapt for the new school year.
'Frankly, there are more important things to do than spend a lot of time thinking about how to protect kids from books,' Exman told Popular Science, revealing his struggles with the issue.
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