Austin-American Statesman – “…Nestled in a red-leaning suburb south of Houston, Pearland is one of several school districts turning to artificial intelligence to keep up with the law, Senate Bill 13, which requires boards to sign off on all library purchases. The legislation comes after a 2023 law first required schools to purge “sexually explicit” books. Katy ISD, Leander ISD, and New Braunfels ISD all confirmed to Hearst Newspapers that they also use AI tools to help identify potentially noncompliant titles. Some have hired a Dallas-based startup called Bookmarked to do the AI reviews for them. In Pearland, ChatGPT flagged 57 books, among them a graphic adaptation of Lord of the Flies, several deep-dives on notorious serial killers, and a handful of books with “queer” in the titles. The school board is still deciding whether to pull any of the books.

After reviewing 57 books flagged by ChatGPT as potential SB 13 violations, Pearland school board members considered blocking approval of the books highlighted in gray on this purchase order. They ultimately approved the books whose numbers are circled because copies of them are already in the library system. Proponents see the technology as a gift, freeing up staff time while helping weed out content they see as inappropriate for schools…”