Amazon, Google, and Anthropic Buy Rare Books for AI Training, Destroying Physical Copies

Tech companies, including Amazon, Google, and Anthropic, are buying up rare books to scan and use for AI training. The books are often destroyed after being scanned, which has raised concerns about the loss of historical knowledge. Amazon's actions are part of this trend, with the company buying rare books, scanning them, and then destroying the physical copies to use the text for AI training.

Analog Devices is forecasting strong revenue and profit growth for the next quarter, driven by demand for its power-management chips used in AI applications. The company expects revenue of $1.23 billion and profit of $1.04 per share for the quarter. In the third quarter, Analog Devices reported revenue of $4.02 billion and adjusted earnings per share of $3.45.

Meta has faced criticism for running ads for an AI porn-generation tool that could create deepfaked videos of female politicians. The ads were removed after criticism, highlighting the need for greater regulation of AI-powered tools that can be used to create nonconsensual intimate imagery. Meanwhile, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is Warren Buffett's favorite AI stock, having successfully leveraged its AI prowess across platforms such as cloud computing and autonomous driving.

Google has developed an AI tool called Backstory that helps fact-checkers investigate images. The tool can check if an image is AI-generated, and where else it has appeared online. Additionally, Baidu reported a 4% dip in revenue for the second quarter of 2026, but its AI Cloud Infra revenue surged 50% and GPU sales jumped 283%.

Key Takeaways

• Amazon, Google, and Anthropic are buying rare books to scan and use for AI training, often destroying the physical copies afterward. • Analog Devices forecasts revenue of $1.23 billion and profit of $1.04 per share for the next quarter, driven by AI demand. • The company reported revenue of $4.02 billion and adjusted earnings per share of $3.45 in the third quarter. • Meta ran ads for an AI porn-generation tool that could create deepfaked videos, sparking concern. • Alphabet (Google's parent company) is Warren Buffett's favorite AI stock. • Google developed an AI tool called Backstory to help fact-checkers investigate images. • Baidu's Q2 revenue dipped 4%, but AI Cloud Infra revenue surged 50% and GPU sales jumped 283%. • The Authority Resolution Framework (ARF) is a new ontology for representing and resolving authority in AI systems. • AI is linked to layoffs in Michigan's manufacturing sector, but the impact is complex and varied.

Amazon destroys rare books for AI training

Amazon is buying rare books, scanning them, and then destroying the physical copies to use the text for AI training. This practice has raised concerns about the preservation of historical printed works. The books are often old and have few duplicates in circulation, making it difficult to replace the lost knowledge. Amazon's actions are part of a larger trend of tech companies using rare books to train AI models. Other companies, such as Google and Anthropic, have also been buying up rare books for similar purposes.

Tech companies buying rare books for AI training

Tech companies, including Amazon, Google, and Anthropic, are buying up rare books to scan and use for AI training. The books are often destroyed after being scanned, which has raised concerns about the loss of historical knowledge. The practice is part of a larger trend of using rare books to train AI models. Some bookstores have reported large orders from tech companies, which they suspect are for AI training.

AI companies destroying rare books for training

An investigation by 404 Media found that some AI companies, including Amazon, are buying rare books, scanning them, and then destroying the physical copies. The practice has raised concerns about the preservation of historical knowledge. The investigation used a tracking device to follow a book from a bookstore to Amazon's scanning facility.

Analog Devices forecasts strong growth on AI demand

Analog Devices forecast strong revenue and profit growth for the next quarter, driven by demand for its power-management chips used in AI applications. The company's shares rose 5.5% after the announcement. Analog Devices expects revenue of $1.23 billion and profit of $1.04 per share for the quarter.

Analog Devices forecasts strong quarterly growth

Analog Devices reported revenue of $4.02 billion and adjusted earnings per share of $3.45 for the third quarter. The company expects revenue of $4.3 billion and adjusted earnings per share of $3.86 for the next quarter. The company's chips are used in data centers, factory automation equipment, and modern vehicles.

Authority Resolution Framework for AI governance

The Authority Resolution Framework (ARF) is a new ontology for representing and resolving authority in AI systems. The framework provides a machine-interpretable representation of authority provenance and scope. ARF is designed to support AI agents in determining the provenance, scope, and contextual validity of authority before executing consequential actions.

AI linked to Michigan layoffs

Michigan's unemployment rate has risen to 4.3% in July, with the manufacturing sector particularly affected. Some companies are citing automation and AI as factors in layoffs. However, others point to changing market conditions as a reason for layoffs. The impact of AI on employment is complex and varied.

Meta ads for AI nudification tool spark concern

Meta ran ads for an AI porn-generation tool that could create deepfaked videos of female politicians. The ads were removed after criticism. Meta has a policy against ads containing sexual material. The incident highlights the need for greater regulation of AI-powered tools that can be used to create nonconsensual intimate imagery.

Alphabet is Warren Buffett's favorite AI stock

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is Warren Buffett's favorite AI stock. The company has successfully leveraged its AI prowess across platforms such as cloud computing and autonomous driving. Alphabet offers a reasonable valuation, liquidity, and strong free cash flows.

Google AI tool helps fact-check images

Google has developed an AI tool called Backstory that helps fact-checkers investigate images. The tool can check if an image is AI-generated, and where else it has appeared online. Backstory is designed to automate provenance checks, reverse image searches, and context tracing.

AI more important than nuclear power - Bennett

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has said that AI will be more important than nuclear capabilities in the future. Bennett made the comments at a security conference, where he emphasized the need for Israel to invest in AI.

Baidu Q2 revenue dips 4%

Baidu reported a 4% dip in revenue for the second quarter of 2026. The company's AI Cloud Infra revenue surged 50% and GPU sales jumped 283%. Baidu's net income reached $2.3 billion.

Sources

NOTE:

This news brief was generated using AI technology (including, but not limited to, Google Gemini API, Llama, Grok, and Mistral) from aggregated news articles, with minimal to no human editing/review. It is provided for informational purposes only and may contain inaccuracies or biases. This is not financial, investment, or professional advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please verify all information with the linked original articles in the Sources section below.

Amazon AI training Rare books Historical knowledge Tech companies Google Anthropic AI models Bookstores AI companies Analog Devices Power-management chips AI applications Revenue growth Profit growth Authority Resolution Framework AI governance Authority provenance Scope Contextual validity Michigan layoffs Automation AI employment Meta AI nudification tool Deepfaked videos Nonconsensual intimate imagery Alphabet Cloud computing Autonomous driving Warren Buffett AI stock Google AI tool Fact-checking Image verification Backstory Provenance checks Reverse image searches Context tracing Naftali Bennett AI importance Nuclear capabilities Israel AI investment Baidu AI Cloud Infra GPU sales Net income

Comments

Loading...