Anthropic is "destructively scanning" books. Should you care?

siliconprairies.substack.com

3 pointsJBruggeman5 comments

Better in a computer than in a dumpster has always been my contention. We throw away a LOT of books every day. Just ask any librarian, used book store owner, or publisher's warehouse.

https://www.npr.org/2011/10/12/141265066/hard-choices-do-lib...

> Better in a computer than in a dumpster has always been my contention.

I don't think so, "in a computer" doesn't mean "in your computer". In many ways a dumpster is safer than a computer belonging to someone who likes to exclude you from access to valuable information - like the latest models of the AI bros, which are fully or partially blocked from the public but still available to selected few.

I don't understand. I have access to all of Anthropic's models right now? Also, I don't have access to books that were destroyed in a dumpster.

Did you apply for permission for the known hidden parts? Or the unknown ones?

Should doesn't enter into it. I care a lot, for a lot of reasons.

It is also a potent physical symbol of what these companies are doing to society overall. I suspect that most people who react poorly to the practice are really reacting to this aspect.

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