There is an ongoing, secretive practice by artificial intelligence companies in which they acquire millions of physical books, only to destroy them after scanning their contents to train large language models (LLMs).

The practice, revealed through investigative reporting and unsealed legal documents, has raised urgent questions about copyright, cultural preservation, and the ethics of AI development.

Project Panama: The Secretive Operation

Internal documents unsealed in legal filings revealed that Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI assistant, launched a clandestine operation codenamed “Project Panama” —described in an internal planning document as “our effort to destructively scan all the books in the world.”

“We don’t want it to be known that we’re working on this,” the document stated, according to reports from The Washington Post.

The operation involved using hydraulic-powered cutting machines to remove book spines and slice individual pages, which were then scanned with industrial-grade imaging equipment before being discarded.

The Legal Loophole

Anthropic and other AI companies have been able to evade copyright challenges by relying on the first-sale doctrine—a legal principle that allows a buyer to do what they want with a physical item after purchasing it.

This doctrine, which enables the second-hand book trade to exist, has now created a new market explicitly catering to AI companies seeking vast quantities of old books.

In a 2025 ruling, a judge found that converting lawfully purchased print books into non-distributed digital library copies was “fair use” because the digital copies replaced the purchased books without increasing the library’s copy count.

However, critics argue that destruction of the original physical copies goes far beyond what fair use was intended to protect.

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A $1.5 Billion Settlement

Earlier this month, a judge approved a $1.5 billion payment in a class action lawsuit brought against Anthropic by a group of authors whose pirated work had been used to train Claude.

Despite this settlement, the physical destruction of books continues, with companies arguing that once a book is lawfully purchased, they are free to do with it as they please.

Mixed Feelings Among Booksellers

The practice has created an ethical dilemma within the antiquarian book trade.

“Personally have mixed feelings about all of this,” one bookseller told 404 Media. “It benefits me financially as well as by clearing out old inventory that is otherwise unlikely to sell.”

“I’ve been well-suited for these sales with inventory from overseas and foreign language books. On the other hand, I don’t like the end-use, and I don’t like that uncommon books are being pulped.”

A Broader Industry Practice

Anthropic is not alone in this practice. According to Novara Media, “The world’s biggest AI companies are buying antiquarian books en masse so they can be scanned to train their large language models before being destroyed.”

The revelation has sparked outrage among historians, authors, and cultural preservation advocates.

Historian Margarita Lila Rosa, who has been documenting the practice, shared videos showing the destruction process on social media.

“How did we miss this?” she wrote. “First the spine is removed and then the book is disposed of.”

What This Means for Knowledge Preservation

The destruction of physical books—particularly rare and antiquarian volumes—raises profound concerns about cultural heritage and the preservation of human knowledge.

While digital copies may preserve the text itself, critics argue that the physical destruction of unique or uncommon books represents an irreversible loss to humanity’s cultural record.

The Bigger Picture

The controversy highlights a broader tension in the AI industry: the insatiable demand for training data versus the rights of creators and the preservation of cultural artefacts.

As AI companies continue to scale their models, the pressure to acquire vast amounts of human-authored text will only intensify—raising difficult questions about what we are willing to sacrifice in the name of technological progress.

Sources: The Washington Post, Novara Media, 404 Media, unsealed court documents

The Chinese community in Ghana, joined by Ghanaian friends and officials, celebrated the Lantern Festival with a vibrant gala at the forecourt of Ghana’s Parliament House in Accra, highlighting the growing cultural integration and strong bilateral relations between the two nations.

The event, held on Sunday, June 21, 2026, ahead of the Lantern Festival on Tuesday, featured captivating performances by the Anhui Performing Arts Group and other cultural troupes, showcasing traditional Chinese dance and music.

A food bazaar offering authentic Chinese delicacies set a festive tone, drawing both Chinese residents and local guests. The celebration underscored the sense of community and belonging among Chinese nationals living in Ghana.

Addressing the gathering, Li Yang, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Chinese Embassy in Ghana, stressed the significance of the Lantern Festival as a symbol of reunion, prosperity, and peace.

He noted that 2026 marks the 66th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Ghana, as well as the 70th anniversary of China-Africa diplomatic ties.

Li reaffirmed China’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Ghana and Africa through initiatives such as the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges and the Initiative on Cooperation Supporting Modernization in Africa.

Ghanaian officials expressed similar warmth. Food and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku welcomed Chinese investors to partner in Ghana’s agricultural transformation, citing opportunities in irrigation, farm mechanization, agro-processing, and industrial zones.

Deputy Defence Minister Ernest Brogya Genfi conveyed President John Dramani Mahama’s greetings and praised the Chinese community for their substantial contributions to Ghana’s economy through investments in manufacturing, commerce, and hospitality.

The high-profile celebration at Parliament House reflects the stable and increasingly rooted presence of the Chinese community in Ghana, serving as a testament to the maturing strategic partnership between the two countries.

Sir Keir Starmer has announced he will step down as Britain’s Prime Minister, triggering a Labour Party leadership contest that could see a new leader in place by September – or potentially much sooner.

The Prime Minister’s resignation, delivered at a media conference on Monday, June 22, 2026, sets in motion a carefully choreographed process governed by Labour Party rules. While Starmer will remain in office during the transition, the coming weeks will determine who succeeds him at 10 Downing Street.

Here is what happens next, step by step, according to ABC’s Chief Elections and Data Analyst Casey Briggs and former Europe correspondent Barbara Miller.

1. Starmer stays until September – but not necessarily

Starmer has confirmed he will not step down immediately. He is expected to remain as Prime Minister until a successor is chosen, with the transition period stretching potentially into September.

“He’s probably going to stay there until September, but there will be a contest now for the new leader. And while they sort that out, he will remain there as PM,” Briggs explained.

However, Briggs clarified that the September date is not fixed; it applies only if a contested ballot is required.

2. Nominations open on 9 July, after the NATO summit

Starmer has indicated he will ask the executive committee of the Labour Party to open nominations on 9 July 2026.

That date is strategically chosen: it falls the day after the NATO summit in Turkey, which Starmer is expected to attend. His final international appearance as PM will therefore be on the world stage alongside other allied leaders.

3. Nominations close by 23 July (summer recess)

Once nominations open, candidates will have a narrow window to secure support. Starmer has said he will ask for nominations to be closed by the time of Parliament’s summer recess.

According to Briggs, that date is 23 July 2026 – though he noted it is not a fixed statutory date but the likely parliamentary timetable.

“Somewhere between the 9th and 23rd of July, we’ll expect nominations to be closed,” Briggs said.

4. A candidate needs 81 MP signatures to get on the ballot

To become a leadership contender, a Labour MP must secure 81 signatures from fellow Labour MPs – a significant threshold that effectively limits the field to candidates with substantial parliamentary backing.

Briggs highlighted this as a crucial gatekeeping mechanism:

“To get on the ballot, an MP needs 81 signatures of their fellow MPs to get on the ballot.”

5. If only one candidate emerges – new PM by mid-to-late July

If only one candidate secures the required 81 nominations, there will be no contest. That candidate will automatically become Labour Party leader and can be sworn in as Prime Minister without a membership ballot.

“If there is only one candidate at that point, that person will take over and become leader of the Labour Party and can be sworn in,” Briggs confirmed.

In that scenario, Britain could have a new Prime Minister by mid-to-late July – well before the summer recess ends.

6. If multiple candidates stand – ballot runs to late August

If two or more candidates qualify, the contest will go to a ballot of all Labour Party members. That process will take several weeks, with voting likely running through August.

“If there is more than one candidate, then that will go to a ballot of Labour Party members and that will take through to potentially late August,” Briggs said.

7. New PM in place by 1 September – when Parliament returns

The ultimate deadline is the resumption of Parliament in September. Briggs noted that the new leader – whether chosen by acclamation or by membership ballot – is expected to be in office by the time of the September sittings, which begin on 1 September.

“The new PM can be in office by the time of the September sittings, which is September 1,” he said.

Who is in the running? Andy Burnham vs Wes Streeting

All indications point to Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, as the clear frontrunner. Briggs observed that Burnham is “hugely popular” within the Labour Party, and there is palpable excitement about his potential return to Westminster.

But he may not be unopposed.

Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary and a prominent Starmerite, is still considering whether to stand. Barbara Miller suggested Streeting might opt for a deal with Burnham rather than a divisive contest.

“There is a suggestion that he might be considering whether it would be better not to stand and to perhaps do some kind of deal with Andy Burnham where he gets a good position in Burnham’s cabinet,” Miller said.

Other potential contenders mentioned include Angela Rayner, the former Deputy Prime Minister, and Al Carnes, a junior defence minister who resigned recently.

Miller noted that while Starmerite candidates could theoretically run as a “surrogate” to continue Starmer’s legacy, “the names are not particularly prominent.”

What to watch

The key dates to watch are 9 July (nominations open), 23 July (nominations close), and 1 September (Parliament returns). If Burnham secures the required 81 signatures and no other candidate qualifies, Britain could have a new Prime Minister within weeks. If Streeting or others enter the race, the contest will stretch into late August – with Labour members deciding the country’s next leader.