AI firms face scrutiny over use of rare books for model training
Reports say technology companies have been acquiring old and scarce books to feed AI systems, prompting complaints to U.S. regulators.
Technology companies are drawing criticism over their purchases of rare and old books for artificial intelligence training, according to reporting from NPR and 404 Media. The issue has raised questions about how the material is being sourced and where it ends up.
In one case, a shipment of rare books was traced to an Amazon warehouse used for AI training, 404 Media reporter Emanuel Maiberg told NPR. The report said advocates have also taken their concerns to the Federal Trade Commission.
The Register reported separately that AI companies are being accused of “burning books,” a phrase used by critics to describe the scale of the buying spree. The publication said the complaints center on the treatment of literature as raw material for machine learning.
The reports come as major AI developers continue to expand the data used to train their systems, while regulators and outside groups examine the methods behind that work.
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