Tony Marx on the Future of Libraries, AI, and Trust

What can public libraries teach us about finding and sharing trustworthy information in the age of AI? How can—and should—AI build upon the technology that is books? This week, Reid and Aria head to the New York Public Library in Manhattan for a conversation with the storied institution’s president and CEO, Tony Marx. They explore the function of libraries in the age of AI, debate the future of work, and discuss what it looks like for civic institutions to embrace transformative technology without sacrificing core values.

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit possible.fm/podcast

Topics:

2:54 - Hellos and intros

3:23 - Tony’s studies and work in South Africa

5:25 - Taking a job as president of Amherst College

8:43 - Eliminating library fines and fees

9:23 - Visiting the Inwood Library

13:30 - Determining what gets digitized

16:20 - New media

17:42 - AI’s function for libraries

23:08 - Navigating hallucinations

27:57 - AI becoming our epistemology

29:36 - Technological advancements at the NYPL

33:54 - Future of work and human costs of AI

39:41 - Can AI close the educational gap?

42:43 - Trust, reliability, and AI

45:18 - Rapid-fire questions

Select mentions:

Possible | Kim Stanley Robinson on the future of civilization: youtube.com/watch?v=B6OlJbPDpyc

Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Each episode seeks to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.