Ars TechnicaJun 25
Anthropic destroyed millions of print books to build its AI models
Company hired Google's book-scanning chief to cut up and digitize "all the books in the world."
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/06/anthropic-destroyed-millions-of-print-books-to-build-its-ai-models/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social
Show threadGeorgiana BrummellJun 25
@arstechnica I am totally blind. When I scan print books, I often ruin them because I have to either press down on them if I use a flatbed scanner, or hold them open if I use a document scanner. Making books available online (provided they're in accessible formats), means that more won't have to be destroyed and those of us who must rely on screen readers and ocr won't have to spend hours scanning just so we can read the books.
Show threadIndiealexh

@dandylover1 @arstechnica sure but you are one person who only has access to a flatbed scanner.

Industrial scanners exist that can hold a book open at an angle and scan the page while in the book without damaging them. A company with billions in funding can afford that.

Jun 25 at 8:40pmWeb
Show threadGeorgiana BrummellJun 26
@indiealexh @arstechnica I agree about that. Usually, even I use my Pearl camera, which is far less fdamaging. But if these scanners are available to more than just libraries, museums, and other such institutions, they should definitely use them! Why destroy books if it's not necessary to do so?