Is an AI company buying up all the used books? (I don't think so, not this time)
a day ago
- A second-generation bookseller noticed a surge in online orders for obscure, dead inventory books, with 70 books in a single order from one buyer.
- The buyer is a single company purchasing books from multiple sellers, shipping them to different locations, likely for financial arbitrage by exploiting price gaps between platforms like Amazon.
- The author's theory is that the buyer uses an algorithm to find underpriced or out-of-stock books on slower platforms, then sends them to Amazon FBA prep companies for resale at higher prices.
- An alternative theory (popular on social media) suggests an AI company is buying books to scan for training data, but the author finds arbitrage more plausible.
- The author fears that bulk purchases could lead to the loss of obscure books, especially if they don't sell via FBA and are liquidated, contributing to a 'second burning of the Library of Alexandria'.
- The author is building an AI tool to preserve metadata of rare books, aiming to create a map of what exists and what might be lost.
- The newsletter also includes a book club announcement, a recommended essay on travel, and a profile of author Peter Rinearson.