Here’s a balm if the idea of destroying books to train AI breaks your heart
AI firms quietly bulk buying rare books face resistance from booksellers.
For those who cherish the tactile beauty and historical significance of old books, the prospect of tech giants tearing apart volumes to feed them into AI training programs may feel like a cruel violation. The thought of book spines lining up for a trip to the wood chipper, pages torn out, scanned, and discarded is a heartbreaking image.
However, while it pains book enthusiasts, the reality is that this method is the most efficient and economical way to digitize books in large quantities. AI companies are racing to outdo one another by feeding their models with high-quality, long-form texts that are exclusively found in physical books. Consequently, book lovers fear that the scale of destruction is likely far greater than what is presently disclosed, with irreplaceable physical copies potentially vanishing forever. What adds to the sadness of this situation is the fact that it doesn't have to be this way.
Written by urgent.news from Ars Technica Policy's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
