So apparently #AI companies are buying old books at secondhand bookstores which aren't yet available in digital form, scan them in to feed their models, and then shred the books afterwards.

[juergen_hubert@mementomori.social]

So apparently #AI companies are buying old books at secondhand bookstores which aren't yet available in digital form, scan them in to feed their models, and then shred the books afterwards.

#books #bookstodon
https://www.tagesschau.de/kultur/ki-firmen-antiquarische-buecher-100.html

[ashley@toots.nu]

@juergen_hubert great, another wonderful contribution to society

[gurre@mastodon.nu]

@juergen_hubert
Actively destroying our collective memory, our collective cultural heritage.
Fuck.

[nathanmurdock@mastodon.social]

@juergen_hubert

They can't use information that is already processed, so they need to get 'tasty' new human books. Not so sure why they would need to shred the books afterwards. That seems rather odd.

[juergen_hubert@mementomori.social]

@NathanMurdock

Well, what use is an already-scanned book to _them_, after its information has been extracted?

[psneeze@mastodon.ie]

@NathanMurdock @juergen_hubert The spines are cut off and the loose pages scanned via a sheet feeder. Rebinding, even if was possible, would be too costly.

[ianturton@mapstodon.space]

@juergen_hubert I can't remember which Sci-fi novel this is from, Vinge?

[datenhalde@nrw.social]

@Gurre
Yeah, um, they destroy their copy of the book.

In Germany, we have the national library to whom you as a publisher have the obligation to provide copies of any printed product (books, magazines, even scientific proceedings...) for archiving. For cultural heritage reasons.
@juergen_hubert

[ianturton@mapstodon.space]

@juergen_hubert maybe Rainbows End?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbows_End_(Vinge_novel)

[matt@matts.network]

@juergen_hubert If they don't want to pay to store the books afterwards they should probably be donating them to secondhand book shops