Amazon is acquiring rare books for AI training data and destroying them in the process, according to multiple reports. The company is accused of converting physical books into proprietary data, raising concerns about the loss of cultural heritage and the monopolization of knowledge.

Users are sharply divided. Some, like themachinestops, argue that the destruction of books is a necessary step in preserving knowledge, though they lament the loss of physical copies. Others, such as hard_zero1, claim AI companies should not have exclusive control over digitized data and that it should be made freely available. JoMiran suggests digitized copies should be public, while UnderpantsWeevil defends the destruction as a necessary part of digitization. Probable_possum highlights the lack of transparency about the specific books, processes, and data availability.

The community consensus is that Amazon's actions raise ethical concerns about cultural erasure and monopolization of knowledge. While some defend the practice as a necessary step in AI development, others see it as a dangerous precedent that threatens the preservation of cultural heritage.