Artificial Intelligence, the common name for Generative AI such as Large Language Models (LLMs), is all the rage right now. It is infiltrating (and, typically, diminishing) fields as varied as customer service, weather forecasting, data analysis, writing, and product design. 

At Lorebound Bookshop, we sell books written by humans, to be read by humans. Humans have shared knowledge through the written word for thousands of years and we pride ourselves on honoring that tradition. The inclusion of robots is superfluous and unnecessary.

Our stance on the use of AI in store operations is very clear – we don’t do it. We do not plan on ever selling books written or designed by AI. The negatives of AI are clear and well-documented: the environmental destruction, the inherent biases, the impact on labor, and the potential for grievous harm borne out of overly trusting non-human thinking. Emerging studies on the impact of over-reliance on AI by young people are sobering – degraded critical thinking skills, negative impact on memory, attention and problem-solving skills, and reduced socialization and empathy. There’s no need to encourage this troubling trend.

In this store, humans read the books, humans make the recommendations, humans do the marketing, and humans curate the books. Any attempt to change this would fundamentally alter who we are and what we believe in. One could even say it would “de-humanize” what we do
here. There is no place for the use of Artificial Intelligence at Lorebound Bookshop and there never will be.

**Original Policy & Credit go to Prologue Bookshop of Columbus, OH.