A recent biography of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer has brought to light the artist's personal history. However, Ed Simon argues that Anthropic’s destruction of out-of-print books to train their AI models is a form of cultural vandalism.

Despite Vermeer’s enigmatic life, his work remains shrouded in mystery, yet it may be the very enigma of his personal life that has made him so beloved. Simon suggests that if Vermeer were alive today, he would likely find AI anathema due to its disregard for the human touch and creativity.

Writer Natasha Seaman reviews a new biography of Vermeer which focuses too much on his supposed religious beliefs rather than exploring his artistic techniques, particularly his possible use of a camera obscura. She argues that Vermeer's art is best appreciated in its own right without need for AI analysis or over-examination.

Meanwhile, the publishing industry faces its own challenges with the German publisher Steidl Verlag struggling to survive after bankruptcy looms close on their horizon. Sally Eckhoff, an estate liquidator, laments the fact that many beautiful books destined for the trash are being destroyed without help from AI – they're simply unwanted by libraries.