Hidden Airtag reveals Amazon is trashing rare books to train AI
A hidden AirTag placed in a shipment reportedly revealed that Amazon is destroying rare books rather than reselling or returning them, apparently to use the material for AI training purposes.
Why this matters: Books sent to Amazon are not always sold, donated, or returned. Some are apparently shredded to feed AI systems. That matters because it is someone else's property being destroyed without clear consent, and because it shows how aggressively companies are hunting for training data. If rare or out-of-print books are being consumed this way, that is a loss that cannot be undone. People who trust platforms with their goods deserve to know what actually happens to them.
Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy
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