Anthropic Accused of Destroying Books to Train AI Models, Sparking Controversy
Anthropic, an AI company, is facing backlash for allegedly purchasing and destroying rare books to train its AI models. The practice involves cutting the spines off books, scanning them, and shredding the originals. This has sparked outrage among academics, lawmakers, and the public, who liken it to a modern-day book burning. The controversy gained traction after a viral post on social media accused AI companies of engaging in this practice. Documents from a 2025 lawsuit revealed Anthropic's 'Project Panama,' which involved acquiring millions of books for scanning. The company argues that this method is legally safer, as it avoids creating duplicate copies.