New Kindle feature uses AI to answer questions about books • Hacker News Board

Re: New Kindle feature uses AI to answer questions about books

#11

Post by ceejayoz » Fri, Dec 12, 2025, 8:38 PM UTC

renewiltord wrote: post #9

Seems like a great feature. What I’d really like is a “recap for me till here” for books I started reading then stopped for whatever reason. I was reading Unsong for a bit (great book, very enjoyable) and then lately the baby has wanted a lot more attention so I didn’t get much reading done. I just want to catch up quick so I can continue. LLMs are great for this, for the plot and character questions, etc. Authors ha…

> LLMs are great for this, for the plot and character questions, etc.

The article links to a clear, direct counterexample of this claim. By Amazon, even.

https://gizmodo.com/fallout-ai-recap-prime-video-amazon-2000...

Re: New Kindle feature uses AI to answer questions about books

#12

Post by wahnfrieden » Fri, Dec 12, 2025, 8:38 PM UTC

Mouvelie wrote: post #7

charcircuit wrote: post #5

This sounds useful for when you forget something that happened chapters earlier or when you space out and need to figure out what's happening. This feature should work for the user, author's shouldn't be able to deprive me of this tool.

Good lord, at this point just drone off in front of a Netflix show. How bad has it gotten that you even suggest that one can "forget what happened chapters earlier" ? This is not normal.

What kind of books are you reading? You're telling on yourself (and very arrogant about it).

Re: New Kindle feature uses AI to answer questions about books

#13

Post by giobox » Fri, Dec 12, 2025, 8:39 PM UTC

Mouvelie wrote: post #7

charcircuit wrote: post #5

This sounds useful for when you forget something that happened chapters earlier or when you space out and need to figure out what's happening. This feature should work for the user, author's shouldn't be able to deprive me of this tool.

Good lord, at this point just drone off in front of a Netflix show. How bad has it gotten that you even suggest that one can "forget what happened chapters earlier" ? This is not normal.

This is hardly that strange, life gets in the way for many of us. I too have many times wished for an easy way to recap a book I've had to put down for a week or two - this is by no means an endorsement of how Amazon have done it here, but you are making incredibly arrogant assumptions about how others enjoy books.

Re: New Kindle feature uses AI to answer questions about books

#14

Post by johnnyanmac » Fri, Dec 12, 2025, 8:39 PM UTC

savanaly wrote: post #2

If they're not using the book text to train models (keeping the focus on this particular new Kindle feature), where's the room for objection? My device, my content, it's none of the author's business how I read it, in my view. Edit: Given I've been a reader of HN for some time, I am perfectly aware that on Kindle you don't own the content, just a license to the content. Don't need any more people pointing this out! L…

It's not training on books, but it will answer questions about the book you're reading. Doesn't pass the sniff test.

>My device, my content

I don't think you own the kindle store and servers used to train the Ai.

Re: New Kindle feature uses AI to answer questions about books

#15

Post by stogot » Fri, Dec 12, 2025, 8:39 PM UTC

I’m looking forward to this. Especially reading old classics, or catching up on an old series and trying to figure out “is this character the sister or niece of the main protagonist? Outline their character development”

I used to have to read fan wikis to figure this out.

But it will especially be useful for all the textbooks I’ve bought years ago. Being able to ask it questions (to the content itself) is better than asking ChatGPT or Gemini because they don’t have the content (they’re summarizing summaries found on the web)

Re: New Kindle feature uses AI to answer questions about books

#16

Post by Y_Y » Fri, Dec 12, 2025, 8:40 PM UTC

Mouvelie wrote: post #7

charcircuit wrote: post #5

This sounds useful for when you forget something that happened chapters earlier or when you space out and need to figure out what's happening. This feature should work for the user, author's shouldn't be able to deprive me of this tool.

Good lord, at this point just drone off in front of a Netflix show. How bad has it gotten that you even suggest that one can "forget what happened chapters earlier" ? This is not normal.

That's been happening to me since before Netflix licked their first envelope. Have some sympathy for people born during memory shortages!

Re: New Kindle feature uses AI to answer questions about books

#17

Post by CGMthrowaway » Fri, Dec 12, 2025, 8:40 PM UTC

Mouvelie wrote: post #7

charcircuit wrote: post #5

This sounds useful for when you forget something that happened chapters earlier or when you space out and need to figure out what's happening. This feature should work for the user, author's shouldn't be able to deprive me of this tool.

Good lord, at this point just drone off in front of a Netflix show. How bad has it gotten that you even suggest that one can "forget what happened chapters earlier" ? This is not normal.

https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Quantum-Mechanics-David-...

Re: New Kindle feature uses AI to answer questions about books

#18

Post by rightbyte » Fri, Dec 12, 2025, 8:40 PM UTC

savanaly wrote: post #2

If they're not using the book text to train models (keeping the focus on this particular new Kindle feature), where's the room for objection? My device, my content, it's none of the author's business how I read it, in my view. Edit: Given I've been a reader of HN for some time, I am perfectly aware that on Kindle you don't own the content, just a license to the content. Don't need any more people pointing this out! L…

> My device, my content

I am quite sure Amazon doesn't sell you that.

Re: New Kindle feature uses AI to answer questions about books

#19

Post by bossyTeacher » Fri, Dec 12, 2025, 8:40 PM UTC

savanaly wrote: post #2

If they're not using the book text to train models (keeping the focus on this particular new Kindle feature), where's the room for objection? My device, my content, it's none of the author's business how I read it, in my view. Edit: Given I've been a reader of HN for some time, I am perfectly aware that on Kindle you don't own the content, just a license to the content. Don't need any more people pointing this out! L…

>My device, my content

Afaik, while the device is yours, everything else on it isn't.

Re: New Kindle feature uses AI to answer questions about books

#20

Post by squigz » Fri, Dec 12, 2025, 8:41 PM UTC

Mouvelie wrote: post #7

charcircuit wrote: post #5

This sounds useful for when you forget something that happened chapters earlier or when you space out and need to figure out what's happening. This feature should work for the user, author's shouldn't be able to deprive me of this tool.

Good lord, at this point just drone off in front of a Netflix show. How bad has it gotten that you even suggest that one can "forget what happened chapters earlier" ? This is not normal.

I'm an avid reader. I'm reading The Silmarillion right now. There have been countless times where a short summary of an area/character/etc has been helpful. Luckily, in this particular case, there are very good Tolkien fan dictionaries that serve well.

As another example, I read the Aubrey-Maturin series earlier this year. Many times I would have liked a quick summary of a previous voyage or of a political plotline or something.

Don't be so judgemental.