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> You seem to think that anybody can control the shadow libraries and flood them with AI-generated books. That's not how any of the current libraries work, so I

by tivert 3y ago

> You seem to think that anybody can control the shadow libraries and flood them with AI-generated books. That's not how any of the current libraries work, so I don't know where you got that idea from. Have you used a shadow library and seen how they function, or are you merely deducting from superior knowledge? About two minutes of googling and testing shows that Library Genesis has an anonymous upload function. I really doubt a pirate library will have the manpower to fully vet every upload. Especially with generative AI able to generate something that sorta looks right. > Would you be able to flood a physical library with AI-generated books? A physical library does not have the same characteristics as an online "shadow library," so the question is moot. For instance: a physical has a budget and staff and orders books to shelve, while a "shadow library" must rely on (illicit) donations.

carlosjobim 3y ago
There are real people running the shadow libraries, they probably can't be "hacked" as easily as you think. Sure, you might sneak one spam book or two inside, but that won't have any impact. This is the process of LibGen uploads: > After successful uploading you need to fill the bibliographic data and submit the form, otherwise the file won't be actually added. The file will be accepted to the collection (and become widely distributed) once it gets necessary positive votes from the librarian team, usually it happens in a few days after uploading. If it's easy to compromise the shadow libraries with AI generated content, I suggest you go ahead and do it for proof.
- tivert 3y ago
  > There are real people running the shadow libraries, they probably can't be "hacked" as easily as you think. There are real people running Reddit too (for instance), including mods. That's not an insurmountable barrier. The shadow libraries have a particular vulnerability to spam, because AI-generated junk can overwhelm their capacity to moderate, but the natural response to the problem (block uploads) could ultimately kill the site. I imagine the main reason they can keep on top of things now is because there's not much interest in subverting their platform, but if it somehow becomes one of the "last good things" on the internet, I think that will change.
  - carlosjobim 3y ago
    I guess we'll see who is right. You're basically describing a DDoS attack, but those have been common for a long time now, and there are effective defence measures.

by tivert 3y ago

carlosjobim 3y ago

There are real people running the shadow libraries, they probably can't be "hacked" as easily as you think. Sure, you might sneak one spam book or two inside, but that won't have any impact. This is the process of LibGen uploads: > After successful uploading you need to fill the bibliographic data and submit the form, otherwise the file won't be actually added. The file will be accepted to the collection (and become widely distributed) once it gets necessary positive votes from the librarian team, usually it happens in a few days after uploading. If it's easy to compromise the shadow libraries with AI generated content, I suggest you go ahead and do it for proof.

tivert 3y ago
> There are real people running the shadow libraries, they probably can't be "hacked" as easily as you think. There are real people running Reddit too (for instance), including mods. That's not an insurmountable barrier. The shadow libraries have a particular vulnerability to spam, because AI-generated junk can overwhelm their capacity to moderate, but the natural response to the problem (block uploads) could ultimately kill the site. I imagine the main reason they can keep on top of things now is because there's not much interest in subverting their platform, but if it somehow becomes one of the "last good things" on the internet, I think that will change.
- carlosjobim 3y ago
  I guess we'll see who is right. You're basically describing a DDoS attack, but those have been common for a long time now, and there are effective defence measures.