AI Tools, Not Gods

As the Internet Archive turns 30, founder Brewster Kahle looks back at the origins of the Archive and considers the future of libraries, digital preservation, and access to knowledge. In this wide-ranging conversation, Kahle explores how libraries can work together to preserve our digital culture, build collections that remain accessible, and make use of new technologies—including AI—without giving up their role as stewards of knowledge. Joining Kahle in conversation is Stephen Wyber of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). This conversation was originally recorded by IFLA as part of its Futures Club series on September 15, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChQunGkIO9E Check out all of the Future Knowledge episodes at https://archive.org/details/future-knowledge

In this episode of Future Knowledge, Alexis Durante-Tierney and Helen Vogelsong-Donahue, hosts of the Born Digital podcast, explore how growing up under constant surveillance may be changing the way young people socialize, experiment, and have fun. From smartphones and social media to school surveillance and cameras in public spaces, they ask what happens when there’s no expectation of privacy—or forgetting. The conversation also considers what mass recording and preservation mean for libraries and archives, and for our ability to let the past disappear. This conversation is based on the Born Digital essay, "How Fun Became Dystopian: On Gen Z, Flock cameras, and the death of fun," by Helen Vogelsong-Donahue, Alexis Durante-Tierney, and born digital on Substack. https://b0rndigital.substack.com/p/how-fun-became-dystopian This conversation was recorded on 9/22/2026. Check out all of the Future Knowledge episodes at https://archive.org/details/future-knowledge

As AI reshapes how information is created and accessed, libraries, publishers, and educators are confronting a new question: open for whom? In this live discussion, we explore the tensions between open knowledge and AI—from the strain on library infrastructure and concerns about AI training to the challenges facing Open Educational Resources. How can we address legitimate concerns about AI while preserving broad access to knowledge? Joining the conversation are Chris Bourg of MIT Libraries, Lisa Petrides of ISKME, and Charles Watkinson of University of Michigan Press. This conversation was recorded on 9/10/2026. Watch the full video recording at: https://archive.org/details/open-for-whom Check out all of the Future Knowledge episodes at https://archive.org/details/future-knowledge

The public record is the foundation of an informed democracy, but in the digital age, it is more fragile than ever. In this timely conversation, Merrilee Proffitt (Democracy’s Library at the Internet Archive), James Jacobs (Stanford University), and Christopher Marcum (Federation of American Scientists) examine the growing challenges of preserving government information in the digital age. As government websites, scientific datasets, public health guidance, and other public records can be altered, removed, or lost with unprecedented speed, they explore the critical role libraries, archives, and civil society organizations play in safeguarding trustworthy public knowledge. This conversation was recorded on 6/23/2026. Check out all of the Future Knowledge episodes at https://archive.org/details/future-knowledge

In Big Fiction, author and Emory University professor Dan Sinykin examines how decades of mergers and acquisitions have transformed the publishing industry, and how those changes have shaped what it means to be an author. Sinykin explores the rise of the “Big Five” publishing houses, the pursuit of blockbuster titles, and what the consolidation of publishing means for the books we read and the culture they create. Joining Sinykin in conversation is humanities scholar Ted Underwood. Grab your copy of Big Fiction: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/big-fiction/9780231192941/ This conversation was recorded on 5/9/2024. Check out all of the Future Knowledge episodes at https://archive.org/details/future-knowledge