Secondhand booksellers in UK and Ireland suspect AI firms behind ‘strange’ bulk orders

Secondhand booksellers in the UK and Ireland are reporting a surge in bulk orders from unknown buyers. These buyers are suspected of being AI firms, which are collecting the books for data acquisition. This comes after it was discovered that Anthropic, an AI company, spent millions on books for scanning purposes. The sudden increase in orders has raised concerns among booksellers, who are now scrutinizing their customers more closely.

Why it matters

AI companies are buying large quantities of books to gather data, which could lead to increased demand for certain titles. This trend may benefit booksellers in the short term, but its long-term effects on the market are unclear.

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