The algorithmic mirror: Academic libraries under the gaze of artificial intelligence - stereotypes, invisibilities, and the critical (re)construction of professional identities

Background Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative systems such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Midjourney, has rapidly become a socio-technical actor that not only mediates information but also shapes cultural imaginaries of professional identity Purpose This study examines how AI intersects with stereotypes, invisibility, and the (re)construction of professional identities in academic librarianship Research Design A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA protocol. Study Sample Records were retrieved from Web of Science and Scopus covering the period 2020–2025. Data Collection and/or Analysis A total of 775 records were screened, and 63 articles were included in the final analysis Results The review revealed a striking absence of explicit engagement with academic librarians, even within the growing body of work on AI in higher education and knowledge work. When libraries were addressed, they were framed primarily as sites of technological implementation rather than as epistemic communities. This silence signifies the epistemic marginalization of librarianship within discourses of AI adoption and ethics Conclusions AI functions as an algorithmic mirror: amplifying reductive stereotypes, privileging functionalist narratives, and rendering invisible librarians’ pedagogical, ethical, and curatorial roles. This absence underscores the urgency of repositioning librarianship within debates on AI, not as a residual service domain, but as a central interlocutor in negotiating the cultural politics of algorithmic futures.