Amazon has unveiled a significant upgrade to its Alexa voice assistant, marking its first major overhaul since the service was introduced over a decade ago. The new version, embedded with generative artificial intelligence (AI), represents a key milestone for the company, which has invested billions into Alexa since its 2014 debut.
The introduction of Alexa+, as the revamped service is called, is part of Amazon’s broader strategy to enhance the voice assistant’s capabilities and bolster its presence across various devices, all while driving traffic and sales on its core e-commerce platform.
At a launch event in New York, Panos Panay, Amazon’s head of devices and services, highlighted the comprehensive nature of the new Alexa. “Alexa knows almost every instrument in your life — your schedule, your smart home, your preferences, the devices you’re using, the people you’re connected to, the entertainment you love, and uses many of the apps you need,” Panay explained. “It’s designed to integrate deeply into your daily life.”
Alexa+ will be available to Amazon Prime members at no extra charge, with non-Prime users able to access it for $19.99 per month. The service is expected to roll out in March to select users, with broader availability to follow. Initially, Amazon had considered pricing the service at a lower rate of $5 to $10 per month for all users, with or without Prime membership.
One of the key features of Alexa+ is its ability to learn and store customer preferences. For example, Alexa can remember dietary choices such as a household member being vegetarian and avoiding peanut butter. With this information, Alexa can assist with tasks like making dinner reservations or sending timed reminders. Additionally, the service can integrate with Amazon’s Ring doorbells, allowing users to view camera recordings directly through Alexa.
Alexa+ also offers the ability to analyse documents, such as a homeowners association contract, to provide answers regarding specific rules, such as whether installing solar panels is allowed. According to Mara Segal, Alexa’s director, this feature aims to make it easier for users to access relevant information in everyday situations.
Internally known as “Banyan,” the project that led to Alexa+ integrates generative AI — a technology that continuously improves its capabilities by learning from data. This enhancement is designed to make Alexa more conversational and responsive, offering more nuanced interactions and a better understanding of context.
At the launch event, Amazon executives showcased several capabilities of the new Alexa, such as food ordering, smart home control, and video streaming. However, media attendees were not permitted to test the service directly, and some insiders noted that the new Alexa occasionally provided incorrect answers or took longer than expected to respond to prompts.
Despite its potential, the updated Alexa still faces challenges. During the demonstration, executives had to repeat requests on a few occasions to get the system to respond. This reflects some of the growing pains associated with introducing generative AI into a complex system like Alexa.
Although Alexa was introduced after Apple’s Siri, it quickly became one of the most popular voice assistants, helping to make voice-controlled technology mainstream. However, in recent years, Alexa’s appeal has waned as consumers began gravitating toward more sophisticated AI-powered assistants. Companies like Apple and Google have incorporated AI features into their own voice assistants, such as Apple Intelligence in Siri and Google’s revamped assistant using the AI chatbot Gemini.
The introduction of Alexa+ is Amazon’s attempt to recapture consumer attention and remain competitive in the rapidly evolving voice assistant market. The new version promises to take actions on behalf of users, responding to multiple requests in sequence, unlike the previous version that typically handled only one request at a time.
With more than 500 million Alexa-enabled devices already in consumers’ hands, Amazon sees a significant opportunity to generate revenue from the expanded service. However, the company also faces considerable financial risk if Alexa+ fails to meet user expectations.
To power the new features of Alexa+, Amazon has leaned on its AI services platform, Bedrock, which allows the company to experiment with different AI models for various tasks. Additionally, Amazon has partnered with AI startup Anthropic, whose Claude AI is integrated into the new service. Amazon has invested $8 billion in Anthropic, underscoring the significance of this collaboration.
Main Image: The Business Times
