Japanese used bookstores see 5x sales surge as books are being bought by the ton, one 50-ton order sent to the US for AI scanning and destruction

Japanese used bookstores are experiencing a significant surge in sales, with many businesses reporting orders coming in by the ton. These bulk purchases have sparked mixed reactions among store owners, as some believe the books are destined for destruction by foreign AI technology companies. According to reports, there has been a surge of orders placed with online bookstores, with some stores reporting daily sales that have multiplied by five.

One particularly notable order was a 50-ton shipment of Japanese books sent to the United States for AI scanning and destruction. Additionally, a used bookstore in Western Japan received an email inquiry from a foreign company about placing an order of tens of thousands of books. While the surge in bulk orders is likely due to several accounts, they all request shipment to a logistics center in Okayama Prefecture.

The genres of the books being purchased by bulk buyers suggest that they may be intended for AI scanning and destruction. Tokyo bookstore owners have noticed a shift in popular genres, with more interest in works related to philosophy, history, medicine, law, and the Edo period. While this surge in sales presents a temporary boost for used bookstores, there are concerns about the long-term impacts on their businesses.

If used books are fully removed from circulation, it could lead to issues with stock availability, pricing, and the loss of important cultural works. The use of copyrighted works for AI learning is still legal in Japan, but it raises moral questions about the removal of these works from circulation, especially if the scanning process unfairly harms the interests of the copyright holder.