As book retailers and distributors leverage artificial intelligence to offer interactive features, publishers are reckoning with the implications.
Two prominent examples emerged last month: Amazon’s “Ask this Book” feature, which launched December 11 on Kindle devices and iOS, and ElevenLabs’ “VoiceChat for audiobooks,” which went live on December 2. Both allow readers to query books using AI—but their approaches to rights and licensing differ sharply, highlighting tensions over who controls interactive book experiences.