Specialized textbooks see bulk purchases linked to AI training

Bookstores in Canada have reported unusual surges in bulk orders for specialized, older volumes, including university textbooks and technical works on medicine, mathematics, and physics. Unlike traditional bulk purchases used for film props or interior design, these orders consist of seemingly random lists of titles that have often remained unsold for years.

These acquisitions have raised questions regarding their connection to artificial intelligence. Observers suggest that AI companies may be purchasing large quantities of specialized texts to use as training data for their models. In several instances, books ordered from Toronto-based retailers were shipped to a logistics company located in Illinois.