Secondhand Booksellers Suspect AI Firms Behind Unusual Bulk Orders

Used-book retailers are experiencing an influx of peculiar purchasing activity from customers located in North America, Europe, and the UK, with similar trends reported globally by booksellers in countries like Australia. The Guardian learned about these unusual transactions as speculation grows that technology firms are gathering materials to train artificial intelligence systems.

Stuart Manley, co-owner of Barter Books, noted that the mysterious purchases started arriving several months ago and lacked any coherent topical focus. Instead of following conventional patterns based on genres like sports or automotive subjects, the transactions consisted of eclectic assortments of titles.

One recent purchase handled by Manley involved a diverse array of items, including a specific magazine edition, a targeted literary imprint, and a foreign-language translation. Ultimately, the bookseller sold hundreds of disconnected volumes to three separate buyers, pointing to an automated or corporate acquisition strategy rather than a traditional collector.