Oxford’s library scans became OpenAI training data, not just public access
OpenAI used scans from Oxford’s Bodleian Library to train its models, giving the company rare historical material while exposing the university to questions about consent, reputation, and energy use. By June 2025, Oxford had shared 125,000 images of historical dissertations, including 19th- and 20th-century PhD theses, and the collection also includes 10,000 16th-century broadside ballads. Oxford’s original 2025 announcement described wider access for students and researchers but did not say the material would train OpenAI models.