ai-ethics education-technology content-moderation ai-in-libraries

School uses AI to remove 200 books, including Orwell's 1984 and Twilight

Librarian 'gobsmacked' after school uses AI to remove 200 books from shelves including Orwell's 1984 and Twilight | LBC

lbc.co.uk

March 26, 2026

3 min read

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45/100

Summary

A secondary school in Greater Manchester used AI to identify and remove 200 books from its library, including George Orwell's 1984 and Stephanie Meyer's Twilight, due to them being deemed "inappropriate." This decision has caused significant concern among campaigners and the librarian.

Key Takeaways

A secondary school in Greater Manchester used AI to identify and remove 200 books from its library, including George Orwell's 1984 and Stephanie Meyer's Twilight, which were deemed "inappropriate."
The school's librarian was placed under a safeguarding investigation after refusing to remove the books and subsequently resigned due to stress.
The AI-generated reasoning for book removals included concerns about themes of torture, violence, and sexual coercion in classic literature.
The librarian's career has been significantly impacted, as the safeguarding complaint against her was upheld, preventing her from working in a school again.

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Community Sentiment

Negative

Concerns

The decision to use AI for banning books raises significant ethical concerns about censorship and the role of technology in cultural preservation.
Investigating the librarian for refusing to ban books highlights the troubling implications of AI-driven decisions on freedom of expression.