AI Companies Are Buying Rare Books, Scanning Them for Training Data, Then Shredding Them

Reporting from the Dallas Express reveals that multiple AI companies have been quietly purchasing rare and out-of-print books — in some cases acquiring entire library collections — scanning the texts for training data, then physically shredding the originals.

Archivists say many of these volumes are among the only surviving copies of historical texts. The loss isn't an accidental side effect; it's the outcome. Physical books are not being preserved alongside their scans — they're being discarded once the digital capture is complete. The specific companies involved have not been named in reporting.

The firms defend the practice by arguing that digitization itself preserves knowledge. Critics reject that framing, calling it cultural vandalism — a position archivists have echoed given that physical condition, marginalia, provenance markings, and binding details all carry historical information that a flat scan cannot retain.

Read the full story at Dallas Express