Global Librarians Postpone AI Misinformation Declaration, Seeking Stronger Stance

National librarians from 41 countries, gathered in Busan, South Korea, to discuss collaborative strategies against the "AI crisis" of misinformation, have postponed the announcement of a joint declaration. They concluded that the proposed "Busan Declaration," intended to foster a trustworthy information environment, required further strengthening.

Nam Young-joon, the new director of the National Library of Korea, initially proposed the declaration, which aimed to outline shared principles for building a reliable information ecosystem in the age of artificial intelligence. The draft included 13 articles covering the protection of knowledge heritage, ensuring information integrity, and promoting responsible AI use.

“

We need to create a powerful document that all national libraries can actually use, not rush to make an 80% document but take time to make a 120% complete document.

However, during discussions, several participants argued for a more robust and impactful statement. One attendee emphasized the need for a document that all national libraries could actively utilize in their fight against fake news and disinformation, suggesting it was better to create a "120% complete document" over time than a rushed "80%" version.

“

The Busan Declaration should be our collective institutional position and demand that we can present to our respective governments, legislators, and funding agencies, and international organizations.

Another participant supported adopting the Busan Declaration but stressed that it should articulate "collective institutional positions and demands" that libraries could present to their respective governments, legislators, and international organizations. This call highlighted a desire for stronger policy and advocacy components within the declaration.

In response to these suggestions, Tomas Maciejewski, President of the Conference of Directors of National Libraries (CDNL) and Director of the National Library of Poland, proposed forming a working group. This group will collect opinions from member libraries by the end of November to revise the declaration. Director Nam expressed regret over the postponement, noting the urgency of the AI issue and the potential for libraries to fall behind if action is delayed. He viewed the initial proposal as a broad "prototype" that could be adapted to various national contexts, but acknowledged the need for a more concrete framework.

“

AI is constantly evolving, and we don't have time to analyze the problems and find answers. I hope that even if our answers are not perfect and detailed, they will be discussed more on this occasion.