New Delhi: Amazon has reported that they are going to introduce the latest AI-powered features that let users ask and receive answers about books on their e-readers. The feature is called Ask This Book, which allows users to select any passage from the book in their Kindle library and ask questions about the content, all without leaving the page, according to reports by publishing industry magazine PubLunch. For instance, readers will be able to use the AI-powered feature in order to ask about the specific plot details or characters in the book.
It is still unclear exactly how many books the feature is currently available for; reports also suggested that the Ask This Book feature has already been enabled on thousands of best-selling English language books. To note, Ask This Book is currently available only on the Kindle iOS applications. The e-commerce giant is also expected to roll out the feature to the physical Kindle devices and the Android-based applications in 2026. The feature may stir some controversy, given that authors and publishers do not appear to have a say in whether readers can use AI to engage with their work in this way.
It comes amid a wave of hotly contested AI copyright lawsuits and broader concerns about the limitations of large language models in substituting human writing. To ensure a consistent reading experience, the feature is always on, and there is no option for authors or publishers to opt titles out. Kindle iOS application users who want to test the feature can click on the in-book menu, look for the Ask This Book, highlight any passage they want, and either ask suggested questions or type in their own queries. They will also be able to ask further queries in the same chat and receive AI-generated responses.
