Libby is adding an AI book recommendation feature

Overdrive's digital book lending app Libby is introducing an AI-powered feature called "Inspire Me" to provide personalized book recommendations based on users' preferences. The feature is set to launch officially in September, following a soft launch this month. Users will be able to select categories, age groups, and preset adjectives to generate five book recommendations from their local library's collection. The AI prioritizes available ebooks and audiobooks, and provides a brief explanation of how each recommendation aligns with the user's stated interests. While some in the library community have reacted negatively to the feature, Overdrive has designed it to minimize energy impact and protect user privacy. The AI only uses a random selection of titles the user has saved, without accessing any other personal details. Overall, the "Inspire Me" feature appears to be a relatively tame and potentially useful application of AI technology in the digital book lending space, though some users may have concerns about the implications of AI-powered recommendations.