AI and Copyright: Amazon’s Controversial Kindle Feature

Seeing this post, my wife said, “Not another Grant’s rant!” She’s got a point. For a couple of years, I’ve complained about how AI has stolen copyrighted material, killed writers’ creativity, and destroyed professional reputations. Some think that the recent addition of AI to Amazon’s Kindle app might infringe on a book’s copyright.

Amazon Made a Change That Affects Many Writers

A month ago, I discovered Amazon added the Ask This Book feature to my Kindle app.

My blood boiled when I realized Amazon had allowed AI to read the entire copyrighted material downloaded to my device and respond to Ask This Book inquires.
Amazon made the change without my express approval, and there was no way to turn off the feature.
If you’re an author publishing via Amazon digital, that means AI can now give readers the AI’s interpretation of your copyrighted book, and some believe this creates a new product based on your work.

Is that what you want? It’s neither my preference nor with my approval.

A Call to Action

I sent a nastygram to Amazon’s Customer Service on December 11, 2026, and here’s a partial transcript of the back and forth between me and an Amazon Customer Service representative.

Grant: I’m a writer. The way the Claude AI works [in the Amazon Kindle app] appears to be a violation of copyrighted material. Are authors aware that their entire books are read via AI Claude to answer readers’ questions?

Amazon: I understand your concern about the AI features. We have already escalated this issue to our development team, as several readers have shared similar feedback. While Amazon is still exploring and developing our AI capabilities, we value your feedback on this matter. Since this has been escalated, an investigation is already underway. We appreciate your patience as we work to address these concerns.

We will notify you when changes are made.

In the meantime, is there anything else I can assist you with today?

Grant: Please tell the developers to read the room. The polls suggest the general public [is] tired of the AI intrusion, and [the feedback is] worse coming from creatives, such as writers. This could very well be the type of thing that pushes Congress to finally enact legislation that not only affects AI, but also delves into [Amazon’s] monopolistic practices. Thanks for your candor today!

Amazon: Thank you for letting us know about this. We will make sure to take note of this.

Amazon’s Follow Up to Date

A month after the interaction with Amazon’s Customer Service, I’ve received no updates.

Do You Have a Dog in this Fight?

I’m just one guy who thinks big tech has taken advantage of creatives with neither express permission nor compensation.

For a more in-depth analysis of this issue, please consider reading Kevin J. Duncan’s post on Kindlepreneur that came out January 22, 2026.

Link: https://kindlepreneur.com/amazon-ask-this-book/

Writers’ minds often run in parallel, and here’s a link to Terry Odell’s that amplifies the importance of this topic. (BTW: We did not collaborate ahead of time 😇.) Please read how AI summarized the POV character in the book Romeo’s Hammer, and I’m looking forward to reading author James Scott Bell’s thoughts on the issue.

Link: https://killzoneblog.com/2026/01/amazons-latest-rollout.html

And here is James Scott Bell’s thoughts on February 1, 2026.

Link: https://killzoneblog.com/2026/02/theres-something-bigger-than-amazon.html

Your Thoughts?

What are your thoughts on retailers like Amazon giving AI access to your entire copyrighted material without your permission, and then interpreting the content in ways that may or may not align with your intent?

24 responses to “AI and Copyright: Amazon’s Controversial Kindle Feature”

lyndhurstlaura

I’d already seen a post about this from another WordPress blogger, Grant, but thanks for getting involved. I’m in the UK, where it hasn’t been rolled-out yet – and I pray God it never may be. Yet another of the zon’s liberties, imposing without asking permission, getting a machine to interpret out works in ways which are probably incorrect. We already live in a world of impatience, where students can pay an ‘essay bank’ for a ready-written essay rather than do the work themselves (I was a university teacher, trust me, I know). Now, instead of thinking for themselves, to develop imagination and critical thinking, they can just ask a machine to do it for them. Mankind isn’t in a good place, and it’s getting worse all the time. I’ll keep an eye on what happens – if anything – but thank you for taking up cudgels on behalf of us all.

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1. Grant at Tame Your Book
  
  It’s so much worse than the uniformed public and most writers realize. I scanned the active lawsuits this morning. The toll (spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically) goes beyond what most perceive the harm of AI and its active promotion by greedy Big Tech.
  
  Reply
  1. lyndhurstlaura
    
    It’s appalling; one step closer to Skynet. Mankind is scr**ed.
    
    Reply
    1. Grant at Tame Your Book
      
      In the 2001 film, HAL 9000 made bold statements that mirror today’s headlines. “I know I’ve made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal.”
      
      Repeat that line to the parents of the children whom AI allegedly urged them to commit suicide. Use that line to comfort the teenagers whose images from social media AI turned into porn. Assure the grandmother who thought someone had kidnapped her grandchild, but AI cloned the child’s voice to demand payment.
      
      Headlines report AI executives repenting, tweaking code, and adding guardrails. Then they assure users everything is back to normal, and it’s okay to use AI.
      
      NOT!
      
      Reply
      1. lyndhurstlaura
        
        100% agree. What have we come to?
        
        Reply
Wynne Leon

Holy smokes – I had no idea. Thanks for the heads up, Grant!

Reply
1. Grant at Tame Your Book
  
  Tip of the iceberg, Wynne. With your blog, you have a wide audience. Please consider waking folks up about AI.
  
  I’m concerned that too many are like baby birds, eyes closed and consuming whatever Big Tech thrusts down their throats. Like with social media, we can push back, even if with a choice not to take part.
  
  Here’s a link that illustrates how corporate greed skews choices. Sometimes with deadly consequences.
  https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/lawsuit-meta-zuckerberg-chatbot-kids
  
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Mae Clair

Grant, I had no idea this was going on. Thanks for bringing it to the attention of writers. I am adamantly opposed to the intrusion of AI. It will be interesting to see where this goes.

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1. Grant at Tame Your Book
  
  Although the Authors Guild has pushed back, that’s not enough to stop a giant like Amazon. I can only imagine what might happen if authors protected the integrity of their works by withholding publishing on Amazon. Like you said, we’ll see where this goes. During the interim, I encourage writers to push back, even if it’s a simple nudge during customer service chat. Does anyone have a connection at Fox News?
  
  Reply
wordsfromanneli

I am not a fan of AI at all. Sure there are a few benefits but I can easily give them up just to be rid of the whole thing.

Reply
1. Grant at Tame Your Book
  
  Spot on, Anneli, and thanks for stopping by today! Stay warm.
  
  Reply
  1. wordsfromanneli
    
    I’m so glad you agree, Grant.
    
    Reply
Dana at Regular Girl Devos

I appreciate how you bring these things to our attention, Grant!

Reply
1. Grant at Tame Your Book
  
  Your welcome, Dana. I keep seeing more downside than upside.
  
  Reply
hope

Oh my. This is extremely concerning and I will be praying. Thank you for sharing what is happening for we need to know.

Reply
1. Grant at Tame Your Book
  
  I encourage people to gain an understanding of AI and look closely at the harm it has already caused. Yes, when used properly, it can produce benefits. However, the greed driving the relentless release schedules exacerbates the potential for more harm.
  
  Reply
Jacqui Murray

Hadn’t heard a think about this, Grant. Yikes, and argh. I’ll read all your links.

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1. Grant at Tame Your Book
  
  Thanks, Jacqui. After you’ve read the links, know there are many more posts on this critical topic. All the ones I saw think Amazon made a mistake they need to correct. Please consider using your platform to spread the word about this problem. More writers are going silent, no longer heeding the call on their lives to entertain, educate, and encourage. Let’s change that! Call out Big Tech. Use the customer service agents to share what happens when writers no longer feel they have control over their work.
  
  Reply
LCRWriter

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I read a summary on a Google Search of the novel I wrote, Hatfield 1677. The title comes from the town in MA, Hatfield, that was attacked by an Algonquian tribe in the year 1677. The AI caption told me that my book was about the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys. I thumbed down that response and was asked to explain. I clicked on “inaccurate” and explained. A few days later, the same source had changed their summary.
I was very annoyed by the inaccuracy and hadn’t even considered the copyright infringement implications until I read your post. Thank you. Laura C. Rader, author

Reply
1. Grant at Tame Your Book
  
  You’re welcome, Laura! All joking aside, this is not just a Grant’s rant. Combine this AI issue at Amazon with the others, and it is over the top.
  
  As writers, we need the help of Congress and the courts to enforce our rights. The current legal action about social media’s responsibility for harm to children has many parallels to our issues with AI.
  
  Social Media Lawsuit: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/01/tiktok-settles-hours-before-landmark-social-media-addiction-trial-starts/
  
  If we recall the history of fighting the Tabaco and alcohol industries, it will give us an inkling of the protracted fight we can expect. Knowledge of the issues and pushing back will help. Communication and taking a stand will also help.
  
  You successfully changed the Google response to a search. Unfortunately, that only changed one AI model. However, there are now hundreds of AI models, and many people use them directly instead of accessing through search engines like Google and DuckDuckGo.
  
  Reply
Priscilla Bettis

I agree with Ducklady. It sounds like you had a conversation with AI about AI. How frustrating!

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1. Grant at Tame Your Book
  
  It’s so much worse. When you get a moment, read Terry Odell’s post at the Kill Zone. I’ve enjoyed all of James Scott Bell’s books in the Romeo series, and cringed at AI’s description of the hero. Perhaps Jim will feel differently.
  
  Regardless of like or dislike, no one gave permission for AI to read their entire book. Several lawsuits to date have submitted evidence that the system kept well over 90% of that material in memory. Hmm… what could go wrong?
  
  Here’s the link: https://killzoneblog.com/2026/01/amazons-latest-rollout.html
  
  Reply
Ducklady

“In the meantime, is there anything else I can assist you with today?”
How ironic, Grant. Your query was obviously answered by an AI bot. This is the classic “closing” line it uses to keep the user engaged.

Is there no one who will rid us of this troublesome technology?

Reply
1. Grant at Tame Your Book
  
  LOL! That standard reply from AI for anyone’s query is so true. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
  
  Perhaps when Congress gets enough of this nonsense, they will act. Also, I’m hoping the courts will enforce the intent of the copyright law. Unfortunately, Congress and the legal system take time.
  
  In contrast, greedy big tech can do things quickly for the almighty buck, and currently unrestrained, move forward at hyper speed despite the harm to people.
  
  Reply