SEEING IS NO LONGER BELIEVING!
Today, January 28th, being World Data Privacy Day, I decided to run a small AI experiment after working hours. Take a look at the two images attached to this post: One of them is an original photo and the other is an AI-generated version where you’ll see that a third person was added seamlessly into the group.
It took me less than 2 minutes to change the state of the photo.
Today, the internet is now flooded with AI Slop and deepfakes.
It’s a great idea and usually fun for many content creators, but this ability raises a serious question for all of us, especially in this year, 2026: ‘Who owns our digital identity and how do we control what we put out there?’
In another experiment, I tried to push the AI further by asking it to create a specific physical interaction (like a peck on the cheek). The AI refused. So, I assumed that there was some sort of layer of Data privacy or safety guardrails that may have been built into the model, which prevents it from creating non-consensual or synthetic intimate moments that never happened.
How I see it though, is that, we still need to be vigilant, because… anyone could outsmart these AI systems through prompt injection techniques that makes the model thinks its doing something ethical.
I couldnt think of a better day than today, dedicated to mark #DataPrivacyDay, for us to remember that Consent is very important.
Just because generative AI platforms like Gemini’s Nano Banana, Grok, and other platforms allows us to add or remove people or manipulate images and videos doesn’t mean we have the right to do so without permission. It all boils down to the Responsible Usage of AI. We must acknowledge that these tools can easily be used to create false narratives or proof of events that may have never happened.
Considering the theme for the celebration, ‘Take control of your Data’, let us endeavour to be very, very mindful of the data we share, the tools we use, consciously protect our digital identities, and endeavour to consult with Librarians to learn about Responsible AI/Digital Literacy.
– Sylvester Ebhonu (TheDL)
NO BOOKS WERE SHELVED, BUT LIBRARIANSHIP HAPPENED HERE
Today (5th January 2026) was supposed to be a ‘lazy’ first day back at work, because I was still trying to adjust myself and put my to-do list for the week together when my first library users of the year 2026 walked in. I honestly thought they had come to exchange pleasantries. Happy New Year. Small Talk, and then they’ll go.
But they actually needed help.
I offered them a seat and they explained that they needed clarification on a group project they had been given in a course, with just two weeks to submission. Specifically, they needed reviews on their idea, some guidance on creating graphics, and suggestions on the right resources to use.
I asked for their permission to record the session without the audio, just the process and they agreed.
What followed was not what they expected.
Just as we are taught in library school, users often do not express their real information need at first. It is through careful questioning and professional listening, what we call the reference interview — that the real need becomes clearer. They had actually come with an idea they felt confident about. Innovative, yes. But as they explained it, it became obvious that it did not fully align with the goal of the assignment. That only became clear because I did not interrupt them by rushing to solve the problem and this changed the direction of the session.
Now, this short, silent video captures what a real reference and consultation moment looks like. Nothing was rehearsed, it was just librarianship in practice.
That listening changed the direction of the entire session. Now, this short, silent video captures what a real reference and consultation moment looks like. Nothing was rehearsed, just librarianship in practice.
There are lessons here that I hope librarians, LIS students, and even those outside the profession may find helpful:
- Librarians listen before they advise: The solution didn’t come from talking first. It came from making the student comfortable and understanding their problem (assignment) properly. Listening to them helped in making the gap visible.
- Understanding the assignment matters as much as understanding the topic: Many projects fail not because students lack ideas, but because the ideas do not answer the question that was asked. Helping users see that distinction is part of our work as Librarians.
- Librarians think on paper, not only in their heads: A pen, a jotter, or an internet enabled device/computer is a librarian’s companion. Note taking is a serious deal for us. I summarized key points as we spoke. At the end of the session, they relied on my notes and asked to take a photo to guide their next steps.
- With Librarians, teaching naturally happens: There was no official lecture or presentation of slides, yet learning happened. This is one thing I love about librarianship. We always… By the end of the session, they understood why their original idea needed adjustment and how to move forward with clarity.
- Librarianship is relational: Nowadays you find most students relying on ChatGPT for brainstorming on related issues like this. They could easily have searched online for clarity. But what happened here was not just information delivery. It was context, judgment, reassurance, and direction provided by a human librarian. This experience challenges the idea that technology can replace the librarian’s role.
- Ethics and consent are part of professional practice: The recording only happened after permission was given. No private details was shared and respect for users is not optional, even when documenting impact.
- Evidence of impact is very important: In some environments where people say librarians do nothing, evidence helps you speak. For many years, I have used reference interview forms to document user needs and outcomes. This year, I hope to experiment other responsible ways of capturing impact.
So, this was how my first day back at work looked like:
- No books were shelved.
- No one was shushed.
- No cataloguing
- But Librarianship happened 🤓!
Sylvester Ebhonu (TheDL)
Amiralty University of Nigeria, Ibusa
