Lately, I've been deeply concerned about the trend of AI companies acquiring rare books, scanning their contents, and then physically destroying the originals. From my experience researching this topic, this practice goes beyond just digitizing information — it has a profound impact on cultural preservation. These companies seem motivated by creating exclusive rights to knowledge, effectively limiting public access by eliminating physical copies. This strategy resembles a modern form of censorship, where AI training data becomes proprietary, and only those who pay can access certain insights. I've read that some books destroyed in this process may be the last existing copies worldwide, making the loss irreversible. Understanding this phenomenon has made me appreciate the importance of advocating for open knowledge and better archival protections. While AI technology can bring vast benefits, it also poses risks to historical documentation and free information flow when combined with profit-driven motives. I encourage others to critically examine how digitization and AI intersect with cultural heritage, and to support initiatives that prioritize preservation over monopolization. This balance is key to ensuring future generations retain access to the full scope of human knowledge.