Amazon has officially rolled out a new AI-powered reading assistant called ‘Ask This Book’ for its Kindle iOS app users in the US. The feature, first announced in September, is designed to enhance the reading experience by providing instant, spoiler-free information about the text.
The new feature allows readers to highlight a passage in a purchased or borrowed Kindle book and ask questions about characters, plot details, or other essential topics. The AI assistant then provides a relevant answer based only on the information the reader has already accessed, effectively preventing plot spoilers. The feature is currently available on thousands of popular English Kindle books.
Controversy Over Author Control::
While the feature is positioned as a helpful tool for readers who may forget character names or plot points, it has ignited a major controversy with authors and publishers.
In a statement to the daily publishing newsletter Publishers Lunch, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed: “To ensure a consistent reading experience, the feature is always on, and there is no option for authors or publishers to opt titles out.” This non-negotiable inclusion has raised significant concerns about creative control and potential copyright infringement, especially in the wake of recent high-profile lawsuits filed by media outlets like the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune against AI companies such as Perplexity.
Expansion and ‘Recaps’ Feature::
Amazon plans to extend ‘Ask This Book’ beyond the iOS app, with a rollout to Kindle devices and Android OS apps slated for next year.
The company has also introduced ‘Recaps’ to Kindle devices and the iOS app, offering a “Previously On” style summary for book series. However, users are advised to verify the information from ‘Recaps,’ as Amazon recently had to remove its own AI-generated ‘Video Recaps’ feature.
Would you like me to look up any specific details about the ‘Ask This Book’ feature, such as its exact availability date or how authors are responding to the news?
