AI Companies Buying Up Old Books to Train Chatbots
AI companies like Anthropic are purchasing massive quantities of old books from antiquarian booksellers worldwide, including in Germany and Switzerland, to train their chatbots. The books, mostly low-cost non-fiction and self-help titles, are scanned page by page and then discarded. This practice, considered 'fair use' under US law, allows AI firms to avoid copyright claims. The buying spree has been driven by a Canadian-American company called Zoom Books, which has placed bulk orders for unsold inventory. While some booksellers welcome the revenue, the environmental and cultural cost of destroying physical books raises concerns. The author reflects on the irony of AI consuming indiscriminately while humans can choose what to read.
Key facts
- AI companies are buying old books to train chatbots like Chat-GPT.
- Books are scanned page by page and then discarded.
- Zoom Books, a Canadian-American firm, has been placing bulk orders.
- Orders target low-cost non-fiction and self-help titles.
- The practice is considered 'fair use' under US law.
- Anthropic is one of the AI companies involved.
- Booksellers in Germany and Switzerland have received orders.
- The Badische Zeitung reported on the suspicious buying pattern.
Entities
Institutions
- Zoom Books
- Anthropic
- Badische Zeitung
- NZZ
Locations
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Canada
- United States