Rare Books Shredded for AI Training; Archives Locked in Disputes

404 Media has traced a shipment of rare books to an Amazon AI training facility, where the originals are destroyed after being scanned to create training data. This action reflects a wider trend of cultural resources being utilized for AI advancements. A PBS station in Missouri is in litigation to reclaim access to its 70-year archive, currently embroiled in a conflict with Iron Mountain, the storage firm. British booksellers have noted a decline in the availability of used books, as they are absorbed into similar AI training initiatives. Additionally, The Walrus highlights the diminishing ability to locate remaining cultural assets. The term 'hand-designed' is now marketed as a unique feature, though its genuineness is questioned by Fast Company. In other developments, Mayor Mamdani and TDF are offering thousands of free Broadway tickets to high school students in New York, while Portland's new dance troupe Firewerks has performed at the Moda Center, bypassing traditional venues to engage tens of thousands of spectators.