17 August 2026
Amazon destroys rare books to train AI models
First reported
Ars Technica ran this on , 3 days before the next source picked it up.
- An AirTag planted in a rare book tracked Amazon's Las Vegas facility where workers systematically tear books apart and scan pages for AI training data.
- Amazon's facility ran so low on books earlier this year that workers feared shutdown, suggesting the company is aggressively sourcing unique texts competitors avoid.
How it was covered
Reported by Ars Technica