Biiwow Books — How the automated features work
Version 1.0 · 5 October 2026. Plain-language notice (EU AI Act, Art. 50 transparency). Linked from the app and complementing the "AI-assisted" labels you see next to results.
| Feature | What it does | What can go wrong | Your controls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo scanning (one book, a pile, a whole shelf) | An AI vision model reads titles, authors and the printed language off covers and spines, and for translations names the original work when it is sure | Missed or merged books, misread titles on worn or angled spines, wrong language, a wrong "original" | Review screen before anything is saved; correct, untick, or keep as unidentified — nothing is lost; the photo is never stored |
| App screenshots (Audible, Kindle, Storytel, Kobo…) | The same model reads the list of books in a screenshot and adds them as audiobooks or e-books | Rows missed, chapter or series names mistaken for titles | Same review screen; format can be changed on each book |
| Covers and details | Rule-based matching of the text that was read against Open Library; the best-rated edition's cover is shown | Wrong edition, a cover from a different translation, no cover at all for books the catalogue lacks | "Find covers" retries; a barcode scan gives the exact edition; any book can be edited |
| Language | From the cover (scanner), the catalogue (ISBN, search) or your import | A translation tagged with the original's language | Language is a filter, not a lock; edit the book |
| Rediscover your shelf | Ranks your own unread books by the authors you rated highly | May not fit your mood | Every suggestion states its real reason; "Show me something else" removes it |
| New to you | Best-rated works on Open Library by your most-present authors and on the topics shared by your books; not an AI model | Translations of books you own, merchandise, or a topic that is too broad | Reason shown on every card; "Not for me" hides it for good; language row narrows the list |
| Barcode scanning | Reads the ISBN with your camera, on your device | Misread digits on damaged barcodes | The looked-up book is shown before it is added |
Standing label at AI results: "AI-assisted — results can be incomplete or wrong; check before saving. The photo is read once and not stored."
None of these features makes a decision with legal or similarly significant effects about you. The recognition provider (Anthropic) does not train on your images; the catalogue (Open Library) receives only book text. We keep an internal register of each automated feature, its provider and its controls, and review it whenever a feature changes.