Airtag in Rare Book Reveals Amazon Destroying Books for AI Training
Evidence from a concealed Airtag has revealed that Amazon is involved in the destruction of rare books for AI model training. An investigation by 404 Media, published on Monday, detailed how a bookseller placed an Airtag in a rare book included in a bulk order. This tracking device led investigators to an Amazon AI training site in Las Vegas, where employees were seen dismantling books and scanning their pages. The facility, known as VGT3, featured a logo of a Tyrannosaurus rex about to consume a book, highlighting insensitivity to criticism regarding harmful book scanning practices. Amazon refrained from commenting on the report, offering the same response to Ars Technica as it did to 404 Media, which does not specifically address AI training. This incident raises significant ethical questions about the use of copyrighted works in AI development.
Key facts
- A hidden Airtag in a rare book revealed that Amazon is destroying books to train AI.
- The Airtag was tracked to an Amazon AI training facility in Las Vegas.
- The facility housed a team focused on tearing books from spines and scanning pages.
- The warehouse, VGT3, had a logo of a Tyrannosaurus rex devouring a book.
- 404 Media reported the findings on Monday.
- Amazon declined to comment, providing a statement that does not mention AI training.
- Booksellers have suspected AI firms of buying and destroying rare books for training.
- The practice has been difficult to prove until this investigation.
Entities
Institutions
- Amazon
- 404 Media
- Ars Technica
- Biblio
- Anthropic
- Trifinity
- OpenAI
Locations
- Las Vegas
- United States
- Nevada
- California
- Milwaukee
- Wisconsin
- Kenosha
- Colorado Springs
- Grand Junction
- Colorado