Hidden AirTag Tracks Rare Books to Amazon AI Facility in Vegas
An AirTag planted inside a rare book sold in a bulk order has tracked the volume to an Amazon AI training facility in Las Vegas, where workers destroy books by tearing them from their spines and scanning the pages.
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A hidden AirTag tracking device has revealed that Amazon is operating a facility in Las Vegas where workers systematically dismantle books, including rare volumes, to scan their pages for AI training purposes. The discovery, according to a report by 404 Media published Monday, raises questions about how tech companies source training data for artificial intelligence systems and what happens to books purchased in bulk orders.
- A bookseller planted an AirTag in a rare book sold as part of a bulk order; it led to Amazon's VGT3 warehouse in Las Vegas
- Workers at the facility scan barcodes or ISBNs before scanning pages, supporting the theory that AI firms target books with ISBN numbers for training data
- Amazon confirmed it buys books 'to help develop and improve products and services' but did not address AI training specifically
How the Amazon AI Scanning Facility Was Discovered
The Las Vegas warehouse came to light when a bookseller planted an AirTag inside a rare book that was sold as part of a bulk order. AirTags are small tracking devices that use Bluetooth technology to report their location, allowing owners to find lost items. In this case, the tracking device followed the book’s journey to Amazon’s VGT3 facility in Las Vegas. The warehouse features a distinctive logo on its door showing a Tyrannosaurus rex preparing to devour a book, a symbol that takes on new meaning given the facility’s purpose of destroying books for data extraction.
Inside the facility, workers tear books from their spines and scan individual pages to create digital training data for artificial intelligence systems. This process permanently destroys the physical books, including rare and potentially valuable volumes that end up in bulk purchases. The systematic nature of the operation suggests Amazon is processing books at significant scale to feed its AI development efforts.
Book Shortage at Amazon’s AI Training Warehouse
Online forum discussions among workers at the VGT3 facility, identified by 404 Media, revealed that Amazon experienced a shortage of books to scan earlier this year. The shortage was severe enough that employees worried the facility might close down. At one point, the supply of books reportedly ran out entirely, though the warehouse has continued operating. This suggests Amazon’s AI training operations consume books at a rate that challenges even bulk purchasing channels to maintain supply.
Workers at VGT3 were trained to scan ISBN numbers before processing pages. ISBN, or International Standard Book Number, is a unique identifier assigned to published books that helps track and catalog individual titles. Booksellers have theorized that AI companies specifically target books with ISBN numbers because this allows them to maximize the number of unique works in their training datasets, ensuring greater diversity in the text data used to train artificial intelligence models.
Amazon’s Response and Industry Practices
When questioned about the facility and its purpose, Amazon declined to directly address whether the books are being used for AI training. The company provided only a general statement saying it “purchases books through commercial channels to help develop and improve the products and services our customers use.” This vague response avoids confirming the AI training purpose while acknowledging that Amazon does purchase and process books for product development.
In contrast, competitors Anthropic and xAI have publicly stated they do not train their AI systems on rare or antique books. This distinction highlights different approaches within the AI industry regarding training data sources and the ethical considerations around destroying potentially valuable or culturally significant physical books to create digital datasets for machine learning purposes.
Google · Your sourcesQuantslant higher in your Google - one clickAdd to preferred sources →Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Amazon’s book scanning facility located?
The facility is located in Las Vegas and is designated as VGT3. The warehouse has a logo on its door depicting a Tyrannosaurus rex preparing to devour a book.
Did Amazon run out of books to scan?
Yes, according to online forum discussions among VGT3 workers flagged by 404 Media, Amazon ran low on books to scan earlier this year. The shortage was severe enough that workers feared the facility might shut down, and the supply reportedly ran out entirely at one point, though the warehouse remains operational.
Do other AI companies use rare books for training?
Rivals Anthropic and xAI have publicly stated they do not train on rare or antique books, distinguishing their practices from what has been observed at Amazon’s facility.
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