---
title: "Secondhand booksellers in UK and Ireland suspect AI firms behind ‘strange’ bulk orders"
slug: "antiquariate-in-uk-und-irland-vermuten-ai-firmen-hinter-massenbestellungen"
date: 2026-08-15
category: tech-pub
tags: [anthropic]
language: en
sources_count: 1
featured: false
publisher: AInauten News
url: https://news.ainauten.com/en/story/antiquariate-in-uk-und-irland-vermuten-ai-firmen-hinter-massenbestellungen
---

# Secondhand booksellers in UK and Ireland suspect AI firms behind ‘strange’ bulk orders

**Published**: 2026-08-15 | **Category**: tech-pub | **Sources**: 1

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## TL;DR

Development comes after Anthropic was found to have spent millions on books to scan for ‘data acquisition’ Secondhand booksellers in the UK and Ireland are reporting a flurry of bulk orders from mystery buyers, amid speculation AI companies are acquiring the tomes for their data.

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## Summary

Development comes after Anthropic was found to have spent millions on books to scan for ‘data acquisition’ Secondhand booksellers in the UK and Ireland are reporting a flurry of bulk orders from mystery buyers, amid speculation AI companies are acquiring the tomes for their data. Bookshops contacted by the Guardian say they have been receiving orders from buyers in the US, Canada, continental Europe and the UK. The increase has been replicated around the world, with booksellers in the US, Australia and Europe also reporting unusual orders. Continue reading...

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## Why it matters

Bookshops contacted by the Guardian say they have been receiving orders from buyers in the US, Canada, continental Europe and the UK.

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## Key Points

- Bookshops contacted by the Guardian say they have been receiving orders from buyers in the US, Canada, continental Europe and the UK.
- The increase has been replicated around the world, with booksellers in the US, Australia and Europe also reporting unusual orders.

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## Nauti's Take

For small secondhand shops, bulk orders from anonymous buyers are an unexpected opportunity: real revenue, and proof that printed text has become valuable training material. The problem is everything around it. Buyers stay anonymous, the books get cut apart and scanned, and the authors see none of that money. Sellers gain in the short term, while writers have every reason to push harder on the compensation question now.

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## FAQ

**Q:** What is Secondhand booksellers in UK and Ireland suspect AI firms behind ‘strange’ bulk orders about?

**A:** Development comes after Anthropic was found to have spent millions on books to scan for ‘data acquisition’ Secondhand booksellers in the UK and Ireland are reporting a flurry of bulk orders from mystery buyers, amid speculation AI companies are acquiring the tomes for their data.

**Q:** Why does it matter?

**A:** Bookshops contacted by the Guardian say they have been receiving orders from buyers in the US, Canada, continental Europe and the UK.

**Q:** What are the key takeaways?

**A:** Bookshops contacted by the Guardian say they have been receiving orders from buyers in the US, Canada, continental Europe and the UK.. The increase has been replicated around the world, with booksellers in the US, Australia and Europe also reporting unusual orders.

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## Related Topics

- [anthropic](https://news.ainauten.com/en/tag/anthropic)

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## Sources

- [Secondhand booksellers in UK and Ireland suspect AI firms behind ‘strange’ bulk orders](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/15/uk-ireland-booksellers-suspect-ai-companies-bulk-orders-data-acquisition) - The Guardian AI

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## About This Article

This article is a synthesis of 1 sources, curated and summarized by AInauten News. We aggregate AI news from trusted sources and provide bilingual (German/English) coverage.

**Publisher**: [AInauten](https://www.ainauten.com) | **Site**: [news.ainauten.com](https://news.ainauten.com)

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*Last Updated: 2026-08-15*