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● TRACKER Updated 28d ago · 8 sources tracked

Amazon, which started off selling books, is destroying rare texts to train AI

Amazon is destroying rare and antique books to acquire training data for its AI models. A reporter used a hidden AirTag to locate a secret Amazon facility where old books are cut apart and scanned. This practice is part of a broader trend where AI companies purchase and destroy antique texts for data extraction. While secondhand book sales are currently booming, used booksellers have expressed dissatisfaction with the likely cause of this increased demand.

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  • ✓ Amazon is destroying rare books to train AI models.
  • ✓ AI companies are buying and destroying antique books for training data.
  • ✓ Secondhand book sales are experiencing a boom.
🛡️ Source Corroboration: 8 independent reporting domains (90% confidence) ⏱ Read time: ~2 min

What changed

A reporter's use of an AirTag revealed a secret Amazon site dedicated to cutting and scanning old books.

Live updates

  1. Amazon destroys rare books to train AI models

    Amazon is destroying rare and antique books to acquire training data for its AI models. A reporter used a hidden AirTag to locate a secret Amazon facility where old books are cut apart and scanned. This practice is part of a broader trend where AI companies purchase and destroy antique texts for data extraction. While secondhand book sales are currently booming, used booksellers have expressed dissatisfaction with the likely cause of this increased demand.

    Why it matters

    The race for high-quality training data has led AI firms to target physical archives and rare texts. This process permanently destroys original historical documents to convert them into digital formats.

    What is confirmed

    • Amazon is destroying rare books to train AI models.
    • AI companies are buying and destroying antique books for training data.
    • Secondhand book sales are experiencing a boom.

    Still unconfirmed

    • A hidden AirTag led a reporter to a secret Amazon site where old books are cut apart and scanned.

    What to watch next

    • Amazon response to allegations of destroying rare texts
    • Evidence of other AI companies using similar destruction methods for data
    • Legal or regulatory challenges regarding the destruction of antique books for AI training
    Sources used for this update (8)
    1. Ars Technica — Hidden Airtag reveals Amazon is trashing rare books to train AI
    2. Yahoo Finance — Amazon, once an online bookseller, is destroying rare books to train AI models
    3. Gizmodo — Used Booksellers Are Racking Up Huge Sales. They're Not Thrilled About the Likely Reason
    4. BBC — Secondhand book sales are booming. Is it because of AI?
    5. Barchart.com — From Bookshelf to Shredder: AI’s Race for Training Data Is Responsible for Destroying Rare and Antique Books
    6. TechCrunch — Amazon, which started off selling books, is destroying rare texts to train AI
    7. Forbes — AI Companies Are Buying—And Destroying—Antique Books. Here’s Why.
    8. GeekWire — How an AirTag planted by a reporter led to a secret Amazon site where old books are cut apart and scanned
    confidence 90%
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