Microsoft Deletes Blog Telling Users To Train AI on Pirated Harry Potter Books

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by msmash

February 21, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Microsoft has removed a blog post that mistakenly encouraged developers to use pirated copies of *Harry Potter* books to train AI models on its Azure platform. The year-old article, authored by senior product manager Pooja Kamath, detailed how to build Q&A systems and generate fan fiction using the copyrighted texts from a Kaggle dataset incorrectly labeled as public domain. The post even featured a Microsoft-branded AI image of Harry Potter. After being flagged on Hacker News, the blog was taken down, and the Kaggle dataset was removed by its uploader following media outreach. The incident highlights lapses in content moderation and data sourcing for AI development. Kamath's blog provided step-by-step guidance on downloading all seven *Harry Potter* books from the flawed Kaggle dataset, which had been mistakenly marked as public domain by data scientist Shubham Maindola. The uploader acknowledged the error to Ars Technica and promptly deleted the dataset after being contacted. This situation underscores broader concerns about ethical AI development and intellectual property in tech. Microsoft's removal of its own blog post demonstrates the importance of verifying data sources and adhering to copyright laws when creating machine learning tools. The case also raises questions about responsibility in the AI field, as companies must ensure their platforms and resources do not inadvertently promote the use of pirated content or infringe on intellectual property rights. For tech enthusiasts and professionals, this story serves as a cautionary tale about the need for transparency and accountability in AI training practices. It also emphasizes the importance of due diligence when sourcing datasets, particularly those involving copyrighted materials, to avoid ethical and legal pitfalls. As AI technology continues to evolve, such incidents will likely prompt greater scrutiny of how companies handle data and guide their users.

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Originally published on Slashdot on 2/21/2026