As part of the 2025 Liberty Digital and illumin UGM series, attendees in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Wellington took part in Softlink IC’s AI Library Challenge: what we believe to be a world-first collaborative experiment for the library profession – created to explore how artificial intelligence can complement professional expertise in libraries.
A Practical Experiment in AI Collaboration
The AI Library Challenge asked participants to complete two tasks:
- Catalogue a monograph
- Design an OPAC homepage for a fictional library
Participants were divided into three teams, each applying a different level of AI support:
- Team Human – used no devices, relying entirely on professional knowledge and judgement.
- Team Cyborg – blended AI assistance with human decision-making.
- Team AI – followed AI-generated outputs exclusively, guided by a customized GPT developed for the event.
Each session concluded with short presentations and open discussion, allowing teams to compare methods, share insights, and reflect on where AI added value – and where human expertise still clearly leads.
“The AI Library Challenge was designed to build confidence, curiosity, and capability,” said Suzana Petrovic, Marketing Manager at Softlink IC. “Rather than focusing on AI as a replacement, we wanted attendees to see how it can complement professional judgment and make everyday work faster, richer, and more engaging.”
Human Knowledge Still Leads
Across all three cities, Team Human achieved the highest overall scores, recognized for accuracy, clarity, and usability in both the cataloguing and homepage design components.
While AI-driven teams demonstrated the speed and creativity possible with generative tools, participants agreed that librarians’ subject knowledge, contextual understanding, and critical thinking remain essential to achieving quality outcomes.
“There was plenty of creativity and enthusiasm on display,” said Suzana. “Attendees showed that librarians aren’t just ready to explore AI - they’re doing it thoughtfully, with purpose, and always with their users’ needs at the centre.”
L-R: Team Human taking on the AI Challenge during the 2025 UGMs
Why It Matters
The AI Challenge provided a guided, low-risk way for librarians to experiment with AI tools and observe their impact on real-world workflows. By encouraging open collaboration and discussion, the activity helped participants identify practical opportunities for AI to support efficiency, discovery, and communication – while reinforcing the value of professional expertise and insight.
“AI is most powerful when it enhances - not replaces - the work librarians already do,” added Suzana. “We’re proud to provide space for our community to test, learn, and innovate together.”
About the Initiative
To the best of our knowledge, Softlink IC’s AI Library Challenge represents the first structured, multi-location AI experiment developed specifically for the library profession. Participants from government, education, healthcare, and corporate organizations worked side-by-side to examine how AI could influence cataloguing, content creation, and user experience design.
The initiative reflects Softlink IC’s ongoing commitment to helping libraries and research teams engage confidently with emerging technologies using Liberty Digital and illumin.
