AI COMPANIES DESTROYING BOOKS; DIGITIZATION URGED

AI companies are reportedly destroying physical books at scale to extract training data, prompting calls for urgent preservation action. The practice threatens access to rare and out-of-print materials that exist in limited quantities. Experts argue that comprehensive digitization of rare book collections must happen before irreversible loss occurs. Libraries and archives lack resources to scan materials at the speed needed to outpace destruction. The issue highlights a broader tension: AI development requires large datasets, but the methods used to obtain training material risk destroying cultural artifacts. Some argue for regulatory requirements on how companies source training data, while others focus on accelerating digitization projects. The discussion has gained traction in tech communities, with 87 comments on Hacker News debating preservation strategies, legal frameworks, and the responsibility of both AI companies and institutions to protect literary heritage.