As I’ve mentioned in the past, a big area where I differed from Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren when I was reading How to Read a Book had to do with my focus, much of the time, on reading for information rather than for what they called “knowledge”, which I took to mean something like instruction at the feet of sages.
What if there were new ways to "read" books -- by using a special AI subscription to the book, then being able to query the contents with specific questions, generate special summaries, etc.? Currently this is possible with apps like Google NotebookLM using uploaded PDFs and text files. Could be a new market segment for publishing and Amazon, et al.
So, I asked MS Copilot if there were ways to do this;
answer:
"There are indeed innovative ways to engage with books using AI. Let me share a couple of fascinating approaches:
Claude AI for Summarizing and Editing:
Claude AI, developed by Anthropic, is designed to read and analyze entire books at once.
It can handle 100,000 tokens (approximately 75,000 words) of text in a single go.
To use Claude, sign up for an account and upload your novel’s text1.
Claude excels at summarizing, identifying plot holes, and improving character arcs.
However, it may need further refinement in terms of grammar and writing style.
Prompt engineering, where you provide context and instructions, can enhance its performance.
AI-Generated Audiobooks:
MIT CSAIL has developed an AI system that generates thousands of free audiobooks.
Leveraging human-like neural text-to-speech advancements, this project brings beloved books to life in an accessible audio format.
It can even read books in a user’s voice based on just 5 seconds of audio2.
Text-to-Speech (TTS) Tools:
TTS technology converts text into spoken audio.
Services like NaturalReader offer online TTS with natural AI voices, allowing you to listen to PDFs, websites, and books3.
AI-Powered Book Recommendations:
Platforms like Find Your Next Book (FYNB) use AI to recommend books based on natural language queries.
Specify your preferences, and the AI-powered librarian suggests relevant reads4.
These AI-driven approaches open up exciting possibilities for book enthusiasts. Whether you’re summarizing, listening, or discovering new titles, AI is transforming the way we engage with literature. 📚🤖✨"
This interests me as technology, but I don't feel a strong urge to try incorporating it into my process. In general, I think most of this type of AI assistive reading will get in the way of people learning to actually engage with a text on their own and make sense of it. Seems like another potentially dangerous dependency.
"Bringing more intelligence and advanced tools for free
Our mission includes making advanced AI tools available to as many people as possible. Every week, more than a hundred million people use ChatGPT. We are starting to roll out more intelligence and advanced tools to ChatGPT Free users over the coming weeks.
When using GPT-4o, ChatGPT Free users will now have access to features such as:
Experience GPT-4 level intelligence
Get responses(opens in a new window) from both the model and the web
Analyze data(opens in a new window) and create charts
Chat about photos you take
Upload files(opens in a new window) for assistance summarizing, writing or analyzing
Quote: I suggested in an earlier comment that books someday might be published in AI format. Now it seems that it's almost here, with a new service aimed at the classics:
"Pick up those books you’ve always wanted to read—this time, with the tools you need to finish them in our AI-enriched e-reading app."
What if there were new ways to "read" books -- by using a special AI subscription to the book, then being able to query the contents with specific questions, generate special summaries, etc.? Currently this is possible with apps like Google NotebookLM using uploaded PDFs and text files. Could be a new market segment for publishing and Amazon, et al.
So, I asked MS Copilot if there were ways to do this;
answer:
"There are indeed innovative ways to engage with books using AI. Let me share a couple of fascinating approaches:
Claude AI for Summarizing and Editing:
Claude AI, developed by Anthropic, is designed to read and analyze entire books at once.
It can handle 100,000 tokens (approximately 75,000 words) of text in a single go.
To use Claude, sign up for an account and upload your novel’s text1.
Claude excels at summarizing, identifying plot holes, and improving character arcs.
However, it may need further refinement in terms of grammar and writing style.
Prompt engineering, where you provide context and instructions, can enhance its performance.
AI-Generated Audiobooks:
MIT CSAIL has developed an AI system that generates thousands of free audiobooks.
Leveraging human-like neural text-to-speech advancements, this project brings beloved books to life in an accessible audio format.
It can even read books in a user’s voice based on just 5 seconds of audio2.
Text-to-Speech (TTS) Tools:
TTS technology converts text into spoken audio.
Services like NaturalReader offer online TTS with natural AI voices, allowing you to listen to PDFs, websites, and books3.
AI-Powered Book Recommendations:
Platforms like Find Your Next Book (FYNB) use AI to recommend books based on natural language queries.
Specify your preferences, and the AI-powered librarian suggests relevant reads4.
These AI-driven approaches open up exciting possibilities for book enthusiasts. Whether you’re summarizing, listening, or discovering new titles, AI is transforming the way we engage with literature. 📚🤖✨"
Learn more
1 metastellar.com
2 bing.com
3 naturalreaders.com
4 makeuseof.com
5 csail.mit.edu
This interests me as technology, but I don't feel a strong urge to try incorporating it into my process. In general, I think most of this type of AI assistive reading will get in the way of people learning to actually engage with a text on their own and make sense of it. Seems like another potentially dangerous dependency.
Check out OpenAI's ChatGPT announcement today of new capabilities:
[Introducing GPT-4o and more tools to ChatGPT free users | OpenAI](https://openai.com/index/gpt-4o-and-more-tools-to-chatgpt-free/)
"Bringing more intelligence and advanced tools for free
Our mission includes making advanced AI tools available to as many people as possible. Every week, more than a hundred million people use ChatGPT. We are starting to roll out more intelligence and advanced tools to ChatGPT Free users over the coming weeks.
When using GPT-4o, ChatGPT Free users will now have access to features such as:
Experience GPT-4 level intelligence
Get responses(opens in a new window) from both the model and the web
Analyze data(opens in a new window) and create charts
Chat about photos you take
Upload files(opens in a new window) for assistance summarizing, writing or analyzing
Discover and use GPTs and the GPT Store
Build a more helpful experience with Memory"
Coming true -- See my updated comment at [Reading Notes in Obsidian - by Dan Allosso](https://danallosso.substack.com/p/reading-notes-in-obsidian)
Quote: I suggested in an earlier comment that books someday might be published in AI format. Now it seems that it's almost here, with a new service aimed at the classics:
"Pick up those books you’ve always wanted to read—this time, with the tools you need to finish them in our AI-enriched e-reading app."
[Rebind | Read Like Never Before With Experts, AI, & Original Content](https://www.rebind.ai/?ref=bwj2CL)
Move up the beta list -- use my referral link: https://www.rebind.ai/?ref=3nLbYH