Visitors to a certain library in Japan's capital were greeted by a poster reading, "Please try the 'AI (artificial intelligence) librarian!'" But what is an AI librarian?

Librarians are, of course, staff who manage the collecting, organizing and preserving of books in municipal and school libraries. They also help readers find books and materials they're looking for or may be interested in, but AI is increasingly being used in lieu of people for these roles online. The Mainichi Shimbun briefly answers some questions readers may have about the use of AI in libraries.

Question: How does one communicate with an AI librarian?

Answer: People who visited Nakanohigashi Library in Tokyo's Nakano Ward in September or October could interact with "Shiori the AI Librarian," an experimental female character displayed on a screen. Similar to a social media app, users can "talk" with Shiori by entering text. According to the tech company that developed her, the technology is planned for use in libraries across Japan in the future.

Q: Is it different to the search terminals currently used in libraries?

A: Up to now, the standard way to find books is to search using the title or author, matching with entries in the system that include those words. But with Shiori, searching "music," for example, would return results such as, "The Fundamentals of Music Theory," "Techniques for Playing Musical Instruments" and "Music and Psychology." Shiori makes suggestions based on search terms, even if they are vague.

Q: That sounds helpful. Where can I try it?

A: AI technology is already being used in the municipal Chuo Library in the city of Kuki, Saitama Prefecture. The developing company hopes using AI will reduce the workload of librarians and grant them more time to use their expertise for other work or for attending to library users. We'll be keeping an eye on advancements in the technology going forward.

(Japanese original by Kazuko Hamada, Cultural News Department)