Educators in Iowa are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to determine which books should be banned from school libraries in order to comply with new state legislation. Recent state laws require schools in Iowa to provide "age-appropriate" literature that does not contain explicit descriptions or visuals of sexual acts. However, the implementation of these strict restrictions has proven challenging, as schools have not received clear guidance from the state, leaving administrators perplexed. The Iowa Department of Education does not intend to provide further clarification in the near future. With the vast number of titles available in school libraries, it is impractical for educators to read each book individually. To overcome this obstacle, the Mason City Community School District in Iowa has taken an unconventional approach by using ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot, to assist in the selection process. With the help of AI, the district has already removed 19 books from their libraries, including works by esteemed authors such as Margaret Atwood, Toni Morrison, and Buzz Bissinger. Initially, staff members compiled a list of commonly challenged books, and then eliminated titles that were controversial for reasons unrelated to sexual content.

Using this modified list, they posed the question to ChatGPT: "Does this book contain a description or depiction of a sex act?" If the tool responded affirmatively, the book was removed from school libraries. Popular Science conducted their own tests and found that ChatGPT provided inconsistent answers regarding the 19 books removed by the district, suggesting that the chatbot may not be the most reliable tool for this task. Nevertheless, district leaders maintained that, given limited time and resources, it was the best available option to comply with the law. Bridgette Exman, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the school district, emphasized their commitment to fulfilling their legal and ethical obligations while also acknowledging the importance of focusing on other priorities. The evaluation of books for "age appropriateness" will still be entrusted to human educators. According to the Mason City Globe Gazette, there has not been a single recorded formal challenge to a book by a parent in the Mason City School District for the past two decades, indicating a level of trust in the district's selection of curriculum and materials. Exman also revealed that other schools in Iowa are removing more than 19 books, possibly making assumptions about the legislative intent. She stated that books commonly challenged for reasons unrelated to sexual content, such as those representing the LGBTQ+ community or addressing racial and police issues, are not subject to regulation under the new law and therefore remain in the libraries.