I didn’t ask for the AI icon on my Kindle app. I can’t turn it off.

I really hate that little sparkly icon which reminds me of all the human labor that was stolen to create a product that enriches the tech barons while contributing to the environmental destruction of the planet.

I absolutely to NOT want to ask my book questions. I’m reading a book precisely because I want to get away from the beeps and the bots.

In its announcement, Amazon describes Ask This Book as an “expert reading assistant” that can respond to queries related to “plot details, character relationships, and thematic elements” without giving out spoilers. The feature works like an in-book chatbot and can be accessed either through the book’s menu or by selecting a specific passage and asking a question.

A report by The Verge quoted Amazon spokesperson Ale Iraheta as saying that the responses are “non-shareable and non-copyable” and are limited to users who have purchased or rented the book. Iraheta added that the feature is permanently enabled, stating that “there is no option for authors or publishers to opt titles out.” —Business Standard