Hidden Airtag reveals Amazon is trashing rare books to train AI

Amazon is systematically purchasing and destructively scanning rare books at scale to train AI models, as confirmed by tracking evidence of bulk orders being sent to a Las Vegas facility—raising critical questions about data sourcing practices, supplier ethics, and competitive advantage in frontier AI development. This revelation exposes significant risks for IT organizations: potential legal/regulatory exposure around training data provenance, reputational damage from unsustainable sourcing practices, and the strategic vulnerability of relying on destructive, non-renewable resources for AI competitiveness. Technology leaders must urgently evaluate their own data acquisition and AI training practices to ensure compliance with emerging regulations and stakeholder expectations around responsible AI development.