The Journal. · Tuesday, September 8, 2026
The practice of AI companies destroying used books after acquiring them is drawing criticism. Concerns are being raised about the ethical implications, potential copyright infringement, and the destruction of valuable knowledge.
“There's this tension between companies that want to build AI and the authors whose work is being used to build that AI.”
“The question is, is it fair use to take a book, scan it, and then destroy it? And the answer is likely no.”