Amazon Kindle’s new in-app AI feature lets users ask questions on books: Report

Reading on a Kindle may soon become more interactive, with Amazon reportedly introducing a new AI-powered feature that lets users ask and receive answers about the books on their e-readers.

The feature, called ‘Ask This Book’, will let users select any passage from a book in their Kindle library and ask questions about the content – all without leaving the page – according to a report by publishing industry magazine PubLunch.

For instance, readers will be able to use the AI-powered feature in order to ask about specific plot details or characters in a book.

While it is unclear exactly how many books the feature is currently available for, reports suggest that Ask This Book has already been enabled on thousands of bestselling English-language books.

To note, Ask This Book is currently available only on the Kindle iOS app. The e-commerce giant is reportedly expected to roll out the feature to physical Kindle devices and the Android-based app 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 (LLMs) in substituting human writing.

Kindle iOS app users who want to test the feature can click on the in-book menu, look for 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.

Earlier this year, Amazon launched a new version of its KindlePaperwhite in India, calling it the fastest and best-performing Paperwhite yet.

It comes with several upgrades, including a larger display, a thinner design, and improved performance. It features a 7-inch display—the largest ever on a Paperwhite model—and a 300 ppi glare-free screen that reads like paper even in bright sunlight, as per the tech giant.

Amazon’s new Kindle Scribe, a $630 tablet, allows for digital writing with a stylus and features a colour screen for the first time.