this post was submitted on 28 Jul 2026
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AI labs buy, scan, shred millions of rare books (www.news.com.au)
submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by themachinestops@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Artificial intelligence labs are in a new arms race to buy up millions of rare books, slicing them open, scanning the pages and pulping the remains — sparking concerns that the last remaining copies of out-of-print texts are being destroyed on an industrial scale.

ISBNdb notes that “print books from the pre-LLM era are structurally guaranteed to be free of this contamination”.

“Millions of the most valuable books have never been digitised. They exist only in physical form, scattered across library shelves, used bookstores, and out-of-print catalogues. We get them to you at scale.”

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[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 3 days ago (3 children)

I dunno, the GameStop Bros are still waiting for MOASS. So I'd say the wealthy have more ways to keep the plates spinning than we wish they did.

[–] khannie@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago

At least GameStop is profitable though.

[–] redsand@infosec.pub 1 points 3 days ago

Corps don't have to register to people anymore. Just as an example of how corrupt and well stocked these plate spinning rich bastards are

[–] LordFireCrotch@lemmy.today 2 points 3 days ago

I like the plate spinning analogy. I think these guys have SO much money that they do have a few tricks up their sleeve to keep investors going.

I think once they land a few enterprise level fish hard, it will keep the plates spinning a good bit longer.