17 August 2026

Secondhand booksellers report mysterious bulk orders suspected to be from AI firms

Since May, independent bookshops across the UK, Ireland, US, and Australia have received large orders for seemingly random assortments of books from anonymous buyers, breaking the normal pattern of thematic purchases.
Booksellers report buyers are paying top prices without negotiating discounts and using opaque aliases, with multiple orders sometimes shipped to the same warehouse near London's Heathrow airport.