World's largest open library calls for volunteers to scan and preserve physical books as AI companies buy, scan, and destroy them — Anna's Archive says ‘time is running out’ as ‘knowledge is permanently monopolized on private servers’
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As AI tech companies increasingly buy and destroy books to feed to their AI models, Anna's Archive is calling for volunteers to help preserve them for the public record.

cross-posted from: https://kbin.earth/m/[email protected]/t/3120649

As AI tech companies increasingly buy and destroy books to feed to their AI models, Anna’s Archive is calling for volunteers to help preserve them for the public record.

  • KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    0·
    1 day ago

    So you have the digital source of literally any book? Literally any single book you yourself didn’t write or publish.

    Because the source code for GTA6 exists, but you sure as shit don’t have it.

    • Smoogs@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      1 day ago

      And how about you? Do you have the hard originals of every book? Why do you suddenly care only now that books are being copied?? They’ve been getting scanned for half a century now. You only care now to be outraged about it something for today

      • KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        0·
        1 day ago

        I don’t think that’s the argument you think it is.

        The outrage is over the books being destructively scanned, en mass, and held in private after the fact. Very, very, very different than the majority of scanning which is non destructive, and usually shared.

        • Smoogs@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0·
          17 hours ago

          ‘En mass’

          No. That’s not what that means.

          They destroyed (a) copy they bought. That is not en mass.

          you didn’t buy it. It’s their copy.

          They didn’t destroy all copies. Go buy yourself one of you wanted it so bad. You can support the author too.

          • KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
            0·
            16 hours ago

            If they buy 100k books and destroy them all, even if every one is unique, that is en mass. I don’t know why I have to explain that to you, but there you go.

            • Smoogs@lemmy.worldEnglish
              0·
              11 hours ago

              They bought each one as a copy. They aren’t taking all copies of all books.

              Not sure why I have to explain basic math to you but here we are. Learn math bro.

              And get if they are recycling THEIR ONE COPY OF EACH which they no longer use that isn’t illegal nor worth an outrage. That’s how recycling and reducing waste works. Better than hoarding.

              Do feel free to go buy a copy and support the author if you’re this passionate to get enraged over what someone does with their own one single copy.

              • KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
                0·
                6 hours ago

                And if there are three copies of that book?

                I don’t get it, you’re acting like every book has an infinite number of copies available. Which is just factually incorrect.

                • Smoogs@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  0·
                  4 hours ago

                  No one here is stopping you from buying a copy. So stop talking like we are.

                  In fact a good idea would be you buy a copy, scan it, share it to all those who you feel would hurt from it being so withheld.

                  then you can stop whining about finite copies.

                  Problem solved.