Bots scraping library collections to feed AI are slowing sites for researchers

1. What happened

   According to a CBC News report, academic libraries are fighting swarms of data-scraping bots that slow or crash sites meant for students, researchers and the public.

2. When it started

   The source does not give a publication date in the material provided, so the timing of these reports is unconfirmed.

3. How it spread

   The report says AI companies are hunting for content to feed their large language models, and the bots collect material from library collections at scale. Specific bot operators are not identified in the provided material.

4. Why it matters

   The report says the scraping shuts out researchers and the public from resources that libraries provide, because the traffic overloads sites built for students and scholars.