AI 기업들이 중고책을 몰래 대량 구매 중

Something strange is happening in secondhand bookstores. Booksellers in different countries are noticing mysterious bulk orders—not from libraries or schools, but from unknown buyers. These orders are large, sudden, and happening more often than ever before.

Why would anyone buy thousands of used books all at once? The answer may lie in artificial intelligence. Companies developing AI systems need enormous amounts of text to train their computer models. These models learn by reading billions of words. Real books—especially older ones with unique content—are valuable training material. Secondhand books are cheaper than new ones, so they become an attractive source.

What happens after the books arrive at these companies? Here is the surprising part: many are not kept or studied carefully. Instead, they are scanned quickly for their text content, then pulped or recycled. The physical book becomes useless once its words are extracted. For booksellers, this means their stock disappears fast. For book lovers, it raises a troubling question: are rare and meaningful books being destroyed just to feed algorithms?

This trend is changing the secondhand book market in real ways. Prices for used books have started rising. Booksellers report that certain genres—old novels, history books, technical manuals—are harder to find now. Some store owners worry they cannot stock their shelves quickly enough to meet demand. Others celebrate the business boost but feel uneasy about the reason behind it.

The situation also raises questions about copyright and ownership. When a book is purchased, should the buyer have the right to use its content however they wish? Book authors and publishers are watching this closely. Some argue that AI companies should pay for the text they use. Others believe the law is unclear, creating confusion about what is actually allowed.

For now, the trend continues. Booksellers keep getting calls from bulk buyers. The exact companies behind these orders often remain secret. What remains certain is that the humble used bookstore has become, unexpectedly, a crucial part of the AI revolution. The next time you pass a secondhand bookshop, you might wonder: are those books on the shelf destined to teach a machine to think?

Inspired by reporting from BBC News.