AI companies are building the knowledge from the books into their models, which they offer for sale to the general public.
Far more people will use the model than would ever have read the book.
Far more people will use the model than would ever have read the book.
It's not at all the same thing as still having the books themselves available somewhere.
People may not even know the book exists or that it contains the information they want. Obtaining access to a copy may be very difficult, even if it is not particularly rare. The AI is much more accessible.
You're defending the indefensible here.
They can't legally publish the digital copies, and you know it. Training is fair use but direct copies are not.
They don't have to scan and destroy these books, it's an entirely voluntary choice.