Use of artificial intelligence in the library services: prospects and challenges Abid Hussain Introduction Libraries are regarded as service- oriented organizations and have been altered by advanced technologies in the era of modern days information technologies (ITs). The growing demands of library clienteles have compelled the librarians to modify their service de- livery mechanism (Hussain, 2022a, 2022b, Library Philosophy and Practice, 1–11). These new technologies have changed teaching and learning attitudes; for this reason, the latest digital technology-driven service innovation promotes a new teaching and research paradigm (Walter and Lankes, 2015). This has compelled librarians to seek new and innovative technologies to maintain the user experiences of their libraries. Librarians are change agents of modern and advanced technologies and have long been responding to current technologies that improve their services. Initially, library automation and digitization were just two components that expanded its workflows and library services (Hussain, 2022a, 2022b). The past two decades have shown tremendous changes in library services and in such advancement, the role of artificial intelligence (A1) remained remarkable. AI has been defined as “the ability of machines to do things that people would say require intelligence; it has been infiltrated as one of the modern technologies for library operations (Jackson, 1985). AI has become an indispensable tool for improving organizational efficiency and productivity. It is astounding that AI technologies have strongly influenced trades in the 21st century, including libraries. Nexus between artificial intelligence and libraries Although research on AI in libraries has been growing for the past few years, previous studies have focused on librarians’ perceptions of AI (Wood and Evans, 2018). Many scholars have their views that AI could reasonably transform library services. Cox (2021) opined that librarians should be more skillful in instructing patrons about the use of AI in library services and its implications for searching and browsing information. In other studies, it was also noticed that many librarians are worried about the implication of AI in library services for so many reasons like job security, its usages and technical issues; however, most of them are optimistic that AI will create new opportunities and open new horizons for the librarians (Wood and Evans, 2018). Some studies argued that librarians should involve themselves with professional interest groups experiencing this technology. Engaging with these professionals will create new skills and develop new services by deploying this technology in library services. AI in library services will provide access to accurate information in the age of information explosion and be a helpful tool for the organic integration of readers and libraries. Using AI in library services will give library practitioners and patrons momentum. Readers will interact on the same platform and gain access to humanized services at a reduced cost. A few scholars, like Hussain (2020a, 2020b), observed that in developing countries, most librarians are still unaware of deploying it in their libraries. Perhaps this might be because of a low awareness level or the heavy budget required for implementing AI in library services. Another reason for not including AI in library services is lacking research activities connecting AI to librarianship. Some libraries have implemented AI partially, like virtual reference chatbots that use machine learning as a subtype of AI. Through these services, a librarian can answer its patron regarding library queries (Arora et al., 2020). Similarly, Zimmett (2020) noted that some libraries use its partial application, like virtual assistance, which can be used to answer the patron. A1 like Alexa skills which have been introduced at The University of South California fulfill various demands of users like frequently ask question answers and events. It has also been interconnected with a library catalog to search for desired information (Hussain and Shahid, 2022). Some scholars note that AI has been associated with automation and searching of information like Yewno Discovery, which was launched in 2016 for data visualization to help patrons view the concepts more visually than traditional library catalogs (Gramatica and Pickering, 2017). AI can also help patrons review disinformation, privacy and ethics. AI can also help the patrons to locate print books on the shelves and help them to find the right book in the right place. A chatbot or AI conversational agent can provide virtual reference services to better guide users via AI. Librarians in the age of AI are known as virtual storytellers or reader advisory humans. To satisfy the needs of library patrons, AI chatbots will bring positive changes in library services. Based on The Massachusetts Institute of Technology research, global positioning system (GPS) can better guide library patrons to find relevant information about the library. Many libraries in developing and developed countries have interconnected GPS with library websites for the past few years (Cox et al., 2018). Modern social media applications like Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram use AI. Many libraries have transformed their services on social media to attract their patrons. Through LIBRARY HI TECH NEWS V C Emerald Publishing Limited, 0741-9058, DOI 10.1108/LHTN-11-2022-0125