Amazon’s Kindle Gets Smarter: Can AI Understand Your Books?

Amazon is rolling out a new AI-powered feature for Kindle readers that promises to make following books easier, especially for those tackling dense classics or complex novels with sprawling casts. 

The feature, called Ask This Book, is now available to users in the US through the Kindle iOS app and allows readers to highlight any passage and ask questions directly within the book. Instead of leaving the page to search for explanations, readers can instantly ask about plot points, character relationships, or specific details they may have forgotten, making the reading experience more seamless and interactive (Engadget).

According to Amazon, Ask This Book is currently enabled on thousands of bestselling English-language Kindle titles. The company says the AI assistant provides immediate, contextual responses and is designed to avoid spoilers by only revealing information up to the reader’s current position in the book. Users can also ask follow-up questions to deepen their understanding. While the feature was first announced at Amazon’s hardware event in September, it has only now begun rolling out broadly to iOS users, with plans to expand to physical Kindle devices and the Android app in 2026, though no exact timeline has been confirmed (Yahoo Tech).

Despite its usefulness, the feature has quickly raised concerns in the publishing world. Amazon has confirmed that Ask This Book is always enabled and that authors and publishers have no ability to opt out. In an interview with Publishers Lunch, an Amazon spokesperson stated that this decision was made to ensure a consistent reading experience across titles. However, the company has not clarified what licensing rights it relies on to provide AI-generated answers, nor has it shared technical details about how the system works or what safeguards are in place (PCMag; Yahoo Tech).

This lack of transparency is particularly sensitive given the broader legal landscape around AI and copyright. Several AI companies are already facing lawsuits over allegations that copyrighted material was used to train large language models without permission. Most recently, outlets such as The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune have sued Perplexity over similar claims. Against this backdrop, Amazon’s refusal to explain whether Kindle book content could be used for AI training, or how it prevents inaccuracies and hallucinations, has left authors and publishers uneasy about how their work is being handled (Engadget; PCMag).

Alongside Ask This Book, Amazon is also introducing a separate AI-driven feature called Recaps. Designed for books that are part of a series, Recaps function much like the “Previously on…” segments seen in television shows, offering short refreshers on storylines and character arcs. The feature is already available on Kindle devices and the iOS app for US users. On physical Kindles, readers can find it by selecting the “View Recaps” option within the series menu, while iOS users can access it by pressing and holding the series grouping in their library (Yahoo Tech; PCMag).

While these tools may appeal to forgetful or casual readers, Amazon’s recent history adds a note of caution. The company previously withdrew an AI-generated Video Recaps feature, raising questions about accuracy and reliability. As Kindle’s AI capabilities continue to expand, readers gain convenience, but authors and publishers remain concerned about control, transparency, and the long-term implications of AI quietly reshaping how books are consumed (Engadget).

This article was written by the Covertly.AI team. Covertly.AI is a secure, anonymous AI chat that protects your privacy. Connect to advanced AI models without tracking, logging, or exposure of your data. Whether you’re an individual who values privacy or a business seeking enterprise-grade data protection, Covertly.AI helps you stay secure and anonymous when using AI. With Covertly.AI, you get seamless access to all popular large language models - without compromising your identity or data privacy.

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Works Cited

Engadget. “Kindle’s In-Book AI Assistant Can Answer All Your Questions Without Spoilers.” Engadget, https://www.engadget.com/ai/kindles-in-book-ai-assistant-can-answer-all-your-questions-without-spoilers-190609961.html.

PCMag. “Kindle’s New AI Feature Can Answer Questions About Your Books (Whether Authors Want It or Not).” PCMag, https://www.pcmag.com/news/kindles-new-ai-feature-can-answer-questions-about-your-books-whether-authors.

Yahoo Tech. “Kindle’s New AI Feature Can Answer Questions About Your Books (Whether Authors Want It or Not).” Yahoo Tech, https://tech.yahoo.com/ai/apple-intelligence/articles/kindle-ai-feature-answer-questions-181405728.html.

Preston, Dominic. “Kindle App Now Answers Questions About the Book You’re Reading.” The Verge, 15 Dec. 2025, https://www.theverge.com/news/844538/kindle-app-ask-this-book-ai-ios. 

Traverse Legal. “Recent Lawsuits Against AI Companies: Beyond Copyright Infringement.” Traverse Legal, 19 May 2025, https://www.traverselegal.com/blog/ai-litigation-beyond-copyright/. 

“Amazon, Kindle Wallpapers.” Wallpaper Flare, https://www.wallpaperflare.com/search?wallpaper=Amazon,+Kindle.