---
format: "aidr-story-markdown/v1"
id: "6bf5bbc100abeba363fc14fce7e375d6cdfdd464a49d3224ac4a0cbb30769d5d"
canonical_url: "https://aidr.today/6bf5bbc1?lang=en"
title: "Amazon Buys and Destroys Rare Books to Train AI, First Reveal of Secret VGT3 Hub"
lang: "en"
requested_lang: "en"
available_langs: ["en","vi"]
translation_fallback: null
fallback_fields: []
published_at: "2026-08-17T18:48:16.000Z"
category: "Industry"
topics: ["amazon","llm","dataset"]
source_urls: ["https://x.com/jason_koebler/status/2089351148478074916","https://x.com/brianstelter/status/2089381731656712326","https://x.com/IntCyberDigest/status/2089373881773498747","https://x.com/mazzenilsson/status/2089375917520891919","https://x.com/daveweigel/status/2089371012185960698","https://x.com/emanuelmaiberg/status/2089341133469999135"]
summary: "Journalists and a rare bookseller tracked shipments of rare books to Amazon's LAS8 warehouse in Las Vegas using a hidden AirTag. The shipment led to an operation known as VGT3, where the books are scanned to provide training data for Amazon's AI. Workers at the site cut the bindings off the books to accelerate the scanning process before the physical copies are destroyed. Amazon provided a statement but declined to explain why the books are destroyed or disclose how many such facilities it operates globally. The revelation has sparked backlash from critics and collectors over the destruction of physical cultural artifacts to fuel digital model training."
---

# Amazon Buys and Destroys Rare Books to Train AI, First Reveal of Secret VGT3 Hub

> [Open the canonical story](<https://aidr.today/6bf5bbc1?lang=en>)

**Published:** 2026-08-17T18:48:16.000Z
**Category:** Industry
**Topics:** amazon, llm, dataset

## Summary

Journalists and a rare bookseller tracked shipments of rare books to Amazon's LAS8 warehouse in Las Vegas using a hidden AirTag\. The shipment led to an operation known as VGT3, where the books are scanned to provide training data for Amazon's AI\. Workers at the site cut the bindings off the books to accelerate the scanning process before the physical copies are destroyed\. Amazon provided a statement but declined to explain why the books are destroyed or disclose how many such facilities it operates globally\. The revelation has sparked backlash from critics and collectors over the destruction of physical cultural artifacts to fuel digital model training\.

## Sources

- [Story source](<https://x.com/jason_koebler/status/2089351148478074916>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/brianstelter/status/2089381731656712326>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/IntCyberDigest/status/2089373881773498747>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/mazzenilsson/status/2089375917520891919>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/daveweigel/status/2089371012185960698>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/emanuelmaiberg/status/2089341133469999135>)