“Google and the World Brain” is a 2013 documentary directed by Ben Lewis that explores Google’s monumental project to scan millions of books and create a vast global digital library. Inspired by H.G. Wells’ 1937 essay “World Brain,” which envisioned a universal, accessible repository of all human knowledge transcending nations and governments, Google set out to realize this vision by digitizing an immense volume of printed works from university libraries.

The documentary delves into the technological ambition behind this massive undertaking and the significant legal and ethical challenges it faced, particularly concerning copyright issues.The film highlights the conflict that arose when it was discovered that over half of the first ten million scanned books were still under copyright protection.

This revelation prompted a global coalition of authors and publishers to launch a legal campaign against Google, culminating in a high-profile courtroom battle in 2011. Beyond the copyright fight, the documentary probes deeper questions about the nature of information access, privacy, and control in the digital age.

It raises concerns about whether Google’s project is a purely philanthropic effort to democratize knowledge or a strategic move to enhance its search algorithms and monetize vast data troves.Featuring insightful commentary from librarians, technology experts, and critics, the film contextualizes Google’s scanning project within the broader history of efforts to create universal libraries—from the Library of Alexandria to the Internet Archive. It also examines the potential risks of corporate control over information and the implications for surveillance and freedom.

Ultimately, “Google and the World Brain” presents a nuanced portrait of a transformative moment in how humanity archives its collective knowledge, balancing hopes for widespread education against fears of monopolistic power and privacy erosion.