AI that explains characters launched in Yandex Books

According to Yandex’s press service, subscribers to the Yandex Books service can try the first features of an AI assistant called Lumen, which the company plans to introduce to its entertainment services in the future. The new feature lets readers get detailed information about the characters in a book, their roles in the plot and their relationships. The report comes from Ixbt.com .

This innovation is particularly useful for users who took a long break while reading a book or listening to its audiobook and have partly forgotten the plot. The AI accurately tracks how far the reader has progressed through the book and does not reveal any unnecessary details.

A spoiler-free approach

The developers emphasize that Lumen does not reveal information about future events and talks only about characters and events the user has already encountered. This helps preserve the intrigue throughout the reading experience.

The new feature is also easy to use: simply tap the Lumen button in the e-reader or player and select the “About the characters” section. The feature currently works in most e-books and audiobooks that have identifiable main characters.

Where and how does it work?

At this stage, the feature is available through the Yandex Books mobile apps for Android and iOS. Users can also activate the AI assistant on the dedicated lumen.yandex.ru website.

Company representatives say the feature is currently operating in test mode, while the public launch of the full-fledged AI service is planned by the end of this year. This will make working with digital literature even more engaging and interactive.