B1 — Intermediate
Consumer groups in the US want the government to check AI companies. They say some AI companies are buying rare and old books to train AI. They scan the books and then destroy them.
People are worried because some books may be the last copies of important texts. Bookstores are also concerned because AI companies are buying many expensive books. Critics say we should save old books because they are important to history.
Read the article about how some companies destroy rare books to train AI models.
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2608/260831-destroying-rare-books-4.html
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “spine“ mean here: ”The process includes breaking the spines of the books, scanning the pages, and then destroying them. ” Use the word in a sentence. Give a synonym.
- What does “bulk buying” mean? “The bulk buying of books is creating a problem for bookstores.” Use the term in a sentence. Give a synonym.
- What does “to digitize” mean? “The groups claim that AI companies are digitizing rare books to train their large language models (LLMs).” Use the verb in a sentence. Give a synonym.
Discussion Questions:
- What do you think about destroying old books after scanning them?
- Should rare books be protected? Why?
- Should the government make rules about this?
- Would you sell a rare book if you knew it might be destroyed? Why?
- How can we protect old books while still helping AI improve?
- Do you think AI is more important than keeping old books? Why or why not?
- What should bookstores do if AI companies buy too many rare books?