New Amazon Kindle AI Feature — Here’s What’s Going On

Some of you may have heard rumblings about a new Amazon Kindle feature, so I wanted to give a clear, no-nonsense explanation of what it actually is.

Amazon has begun rolling out an AI-powered feature called “Ask This Book.”

It allows readers, while reading a Kindle book, to highlight text and ask questions directly about the story — characters, plot points, motivations, themes, or confusing passages — and receive instant AI-generated answers right inside the Kindle app.

Think of it as an interactive reading assistant:

• “Who is this character again?”

• “Why did they make this decision?”

• “What does this scene mean?”

The AI answers based only on what the reader has reached so far, with Amazon saying it’s designed to avoid spoilers.

This goes beyond older Kindle tools like X-Ray. Instead of static info, it’s conversational and responsive.

Why Authors Are Paying Attention

There are a few important points that have sparked discussion in the author community:

• Authors currently cannot opt out of this feature

• Amazon hasn’t clearly explained how rights and permissions apply

• There are open questions around accuracy and interpretation

• Some authors are concerned about how their work is being processed or summarized

At the moment, Amazon has not stated that this feature trains AI on books, but the lack of transparency has understandably raised questions.

What This Means for Readers

For readers, this can be helpful:

• Easier understanding of complex stories

• Helpful reminders when picking a book back up

• Less need to Google things mid-read

But it also changes the reading experience in a meaningful way, and not everyone feels the same about that.

The Bigger Conversation

This is part of a larger discussion about AI, creativity, and author rights. Like every major shift in publishing technology, it comes with both opportunity and concern, and it’s still evolving.

I’m sharing this purely to keep readers and fellow writers informed, not to tell anyone how to feel about it. Transparency matters, and informed readers make better choices.

Curious what others think — does this sound useful to you, or does it change the reading experience too much?