Fact Check: Are AI companies scanning and destroying millions of books, including uncommon titles?

Media Bias Fact Check (MBFC) publishes daily vetted fact checks from verified IFCN-approved sources. Each claim is independently reviewed for accuracy and context.


Claimant: Social Media


Claim: Artificial intelligence companies are scanning millions of books, some of which are rare, and destroying them.


Rating: MOSTLY TRUE


Explanation: Internal Anthropic documents showed the company bought millions of books, including less common and high-quality titles, to be “destructively scanned” as part of a confidential effort known as Project Panama. The evidence supports the broader claim, although it does not establish that all AI companies are doing this or that all affected books are rare.


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Date: 08/31/2026


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Last Updated on August 31, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check