“Best Practises for Hosting AI Workshops at the Public Library” is a session for BCLA’s AI Exploration Series, presented by Issam Laradji.
In this talk, we will provide detailed guidance on how to conduct engaging and informative AI workshops at public libraries. We will stress the importance of starting with user-friendly, familiar AI tools like ChatGPT and Bing, which serve as excellent introductory examples for participants. These tools can show how AI is already being used in everyday tasks, making the technology more relatable and accessible to a wide audience.
We’ll also discuss the value of focusing on current AI topics that are frequently in the news, such as concerns about AI replacing jobs, ethical questions about AI use, and its increasing presence in industries like healthcare and education. By shortlisting and discussing impactful AI buzzwords and issues, workshop facilitators can address the most pressing and relevant aspects of AI, helping participants feel informed about the latest developments.
We will also discuss how we can make the presentation more engaging and fun by including live demos where participants can directly interact with an AI tool during the workshop. Finally, we will emphasize the importance of addressing common misconceptions about AI. By debunking myths and clarifying what AI can and cannot do, workshops can provide a more accurate picture of the technology. This helps attendees gain a clearer understanding of AI’s capabilities, limitations, and the broader implications of its use in society.
When / Where: Wednesday, October 16th at 10am-11:30am on Zoom
Who should attend: Public library staff who offer programming to the public. As well, if you are new to AI and ChatGPT, you will gain a basic understanding of these tools and an opportunity to ask questions from an expert.
Cost: We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, which enabled us to offer this event free of charge to advance accessibility for all people in British Columbia.
*This session will be recorded
Issam Laradji is a research scientist at ServiceNow and an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia. He focuses on building AI models that can help humans achieve their goals in the best possible way. With a postdoc from McGill University and a PhD and MSc from the University of British Columbia, his expertise includes natural language processing, computer vision, and optimization. Issam is passionate about making AI more accessible to everyone and leads an inclusive, thriving community built on collaboration and shared learning. His vision is to create an environment where fun teams can network and work together on ambitious projects to spark curiosity, drive innovation, and advance human’s potential in what is possible.
Issam also provides tech workshops to the public for the West Vancouver Public Library and runs the Vancouver AI Academy, which is a community of people working on AI learning and development, sharing their knowledge and organizing events.
This online presentation via Zoom includes closed captioning and will be recorded for our Vimeo account, which includes a transcript. If you have any further accessibility needs to attend this session, please contact Natalie Porter, BCLA Professional Development Coordinator in advance and BCLA will do our best to support you.