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The Vanishing Page: AI Firms Scan Then Destroy Rare Book Editions

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Re: The Vanishing Page: AI Firms Scan Then Destroy Rare Book Editions

#21

Post by pfdietz »

madaxe_again wrote: post #16
pfdietz wrote: post #7

Nowhere are the supposed rare books listed. Confuses "(not all that) old books" with "rare books". Ragebait, nothing more.

They are academic titles from the last few decades for the most part, and are rare because the print runs were typically short, and the prices typically eye-watering. “Semantic analysis of cotton processing terminology in Des Moines, 1993-1996, 8th edition”, that sort of fun.

I'm reminded of a quote that's been (mis)attributed to Dorothy Parker.

"This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force."

Re: The Vanishing Page: AI Firms Scan Then Destroy Rare Book Editions

#22

Post by breezybottom »

jstummbillig wrote: post #5

Forever preserving the content of a rare book by consuming one (1) copy is the kind of thing we should always be doing more of. Roughly nobody would have had access to that copy. Roughly everyone can now benefit from its content.

It's going to be hard for you to do more of that, considering that AI forms are destroying the books. You know, the whole point of the article...

Re: The Vanishing Page: AI Firms Scan Then Destroy Rare Book Editions

#24

Post by pfdietz »

netsharc wrote: post #18
inigyou wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, actually it is

I'm going to buy a Taylor Swift CD, rip it as MP3s, destroy the CD, and put the MP3s online... Will I get sued?

The "putting it online" part is where you are f-ing up.

Re: The Vanishing Page: AI Firms Scan Then Destroy Rare Book Editions

#25

Post by jmyeet »

cowanon77 wrote: post #17

On the surface it seems bad, although many of these books were probably rotting in place rather than being read. If the companies are willing to make the digital version available this may actually prreserve the books. More troubling to me is the focus on pre-2022 data. This indicates that the companies are seriously worried about model collapse, where the future models become worse becuase they are being fed by gene…

Yeah, I really don't know where this goes from here. Like certain sources, particular Reddit and Twitter, have to largely be considered spoiled at this point. It's hard to quanitfy the amount of bots but my intuition tells me it's really high.

But changing how non-AI people write, that's an interesting angle. Because where do we go from here? In 100 years will we still be overvaluing pre-AI sources? That doesn't make sense. Of course a lot can (and will) change in 100 years.

But i'm reminded of pre-atomic steel, which is steel made before the first atomic bombs were detonated and thus have really low background radiation. This is necessary for making MRIs and such. People will go and find it from shipwrecks and such (ironically, many of which are from WW2). It's also a finite resource. What happens when we run out?

Now pre-2022 texts aren't consumed (other than destructively scanning books of course) but it is also finite. We can't make more of it.

Re: The Vanishing Page: AI Firms Scan Then Destroy Rare Book Editions

#26

Post by Sha1rholder »

jstummbillig wrote: post #5

Forever preserving the content of a rare book by consuming one (1) copy is the kind of thing we should always be doing more of. Roughly nobody would have had access to that copy. Roughly everyone can now benefit from its content.

> Roughly everyone can now benefit from its content.

You mean every Anthropic?

Re: The Vanishing Page: AI Firms Scan Then Destroy Rare Book Editions

#27

Post by pfdietz »

28304283409234 wrote: post #19
jstummbillig wrote: post #5

Forever preserving the content of a rare book by consuming one (1) copy is the kind of thing we should always be doing more of. Roughly nobody would have had access to that copy. Roughly everyone can now benefit from its content.

One (1) company destroys and (illegally?) copies a rare book. This knowledge is now of that company, not of humanity. Other companies will feel the need to do the same and before you know it knowledge is walled off in the gardens of the AI companies, and the rare books are gone and destroyed.

The scan doesn't go away, and can be released when the copyright expires.

Oh no, a lump of cellulose is gone. Will no one think of the fibers?

Re: The Vanishing Page: AI Firms Scan Then Destroy Rare Book Editions

#30

Post by storus »

cowanon77 wrote: post #17

On the surface it seems bad, although many of these books were probably rotting in place rather than being read. If the companies are willing to make the digital version available this may actually prreserve the books. More troubling to me is the focus on pre-2022 data. This indicates that the companies are seriously worried about model collapse, where the future models become worse becuase they are being fed by gene…

As long as economics incentivizes next quarter thinking nothing will be done. We can't even handle human portion of global warming which is arguably more important than just some AI model collapse scenario.
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