Japanese used bookstores see 5x sales surge as books are bought by the ton for AI scanning and destruction

Japanese used bookstores see 5x sales surge as books are being bought by the ton

Japanese used bookstores report a 5x sales surge driven by bulk buyers purchasing books by the ton. One confirmed 50-ton order was shipped to the US for scanning and destruction. Bookstore owners say the books end up in overseas scan-and-shred facilities, likely as training data for large models. No company has publicly claimed the purchases, and the article doesn't name specific AI firms behind the buys.

Why it matters: A supply-chain story with concrete numbers and a vivid image. The 5x surge and 50-ton order are hard facts that tie directly to training data provenance debates. The ding: no company has claimed the purchases, so it's a phenomenon report, not a confirmed investigation. Feature...