AI Firms Accused of Destroying Rare Books; Streaming Platforms and Studios Navigate AI Content

Booksellers are raising alarms that AI firms are bulk-buying rare and hard-to-find books, reportedly to scan them for training data and then destroy the physical copies. This follows a court ruling that allowed AI companies to use copyrighted books for model training provided the originals are destroyed, raising concerns about the irreversible loss of cultural heritage, akin to the burning of the Library of Alexandria. The practice has sparked resistance among booksellers who are now refusing to sell to suspected AI buyers.