Amazon Buys Rare Books and Scans Them for AI Training
Amazon has been purchasing rare books, removing their spines, and scanning the pages for artificial intelligence training purposes. A tracking device placed inside a rare book by 404 Media was traced to an Amazon facility in Las Vegas.
Multinational technology conglomerate Amazon has been purchasing rare books, cutting off their spines, and scanning the contents to facilitate artificial intelligence training. The practice involves acquiring physical volumes through commercial channels, systematically dismantling the bindings to process the pages digitally for machine learning models.
The revelation regarding the digital acquisition process came to light following an investigation by 404 Media. To trace the movement of the acquired materials, investigators placed a tracking device inside a physical rare book before it was sold into commercial distribution channels.
Following the purchase, the tracked volume was traced directly to an Amazon operations facility located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Internal tracking data confirmed that the shipment successfully arrived at the specific distribution and processing site known as VGT3.
The scanning of copyrighted and rare physical texts forms part of a broader industry-wide effort by technology companies to gather massive datasets necessary for training advanced generative artificial intelligence systems. Similar data acquisition practices have previously involved major technology and AI entities, including AI developer Anthropic.
Addressing the acquisition of physical media, a spokesperson for Amazon provided an official statement explaining the company's operational rationale. According to Amazon, the corporation purchases books through commercial channels specifically to improve the products and services that customers use.
