Amazon is acquiring large quantities of books, including rare ones, to scan them for AI training data. An investigation by 404 Media, using a tracking device placed in a rare book, revealed that these books are ultimately sent to an Amazon warehouse in Las Vegas. At this facility, employees reportedly cut the bindings off the books to speed up scanning, destroying the physical copies in the process. This practice aligns with the broader trend of AI companies seeking diverse training data beyond readily available internet content, even if it means the destruction of physical materials. AI
IMPACT Confirms a major AI training data sourcing strategy that involves the destruction of physical books, potentially impacting the availability of unique textual data.
RANK_REASON Investigative journalism reveals a major company's undisclosed practice with significant implications for data sourcing and preservation.
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