Amazon took the wraps off a revamped Alexa that is infused with generative artificial intelligence (AI) to be more capable, conversational and agentic than the old version.
Called Alexa+, it can order groceries, call an Uber, find and book a repairman and other activities, the company said. It can send text messages, go to websites and complete tasks for users through Alexa.com and a new phone app, according to live updates of the in-person event in New York.
Alexa+ has been plagued by delays, reportedly due to it hallucinating or giving wrong information on test questions. The unveiling comes about a year and a half after Amazon first announced it was going to infuse AI into Alexa following the release of ChatGPT.
“Up until a couple years ago, it was pretty difficult to invent with AI, and that changed with the arrival of foundational models and generative AI. This made the technology much more accessible, so people can see the power and magic of what generative AI can do,” said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.
Behind the scenes, Alexa+ is powered by Amazon’s Nova large language models as well as those from Anthropic, in which Amazon has invested $8 billion. It also accesses other LLMs through its AI platform, Amazon Bedrock.
“Providing devices that consumers use in their personal and professional lives is key for ultimate stickiness and adoption. Given that Amazon is already in people’s homes already, what will truly move the needle for the company is ultimately the distribution channel of the new agentic AI service,” Inna Tokarev Sela, CEO and founder of illumex, told PYMNTS.
According to PYMNTS data, only 1.9% of nearly 2,700 U.S. consumers surveyed use a phone or a voice-activated device to shop and pay for retail products. About a quarter shop online and the rest are in-store.
Reasons for the low penetration of voice commerce are limited functionality, compatibility with other platforms, not being user-friendly, or consumers were just not aware these options are available, according to the report.
Alexa+ is free for Amazon Prime members but $19.99 a month for others. It will start rolling out in the next few weeks in the U.S. and works with nearly all existing Alexa devices. Amazon did not debut new or upgraded hardware.
Panos Panay, Amazon’s devices and services chief, showed off a redesigned user interface on Echo Show, an Alexa device with a screen, to demonstrate the new capabilities of Alexa+.
He said Alexa+ can find specific moments in movies at the user’s request — for example, finding the scene for the song “Shallow” in the 2018 movie “A Star is Born” featuring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga.
Another feature is Alexa’s AI-powered search that works with Ring to look through its video library to check, say, whether anyone has walked the dog.
Alexa+ can also remember what it was told previously — and users only have to say “Alexa” once instead of each time they have a new request during the same conversation. Alexa+ debuted with a new voice as well.
Alexa can also read through documents — such as HOA rules — school schedules, handwritten notes and the like. For example, email Alexa the HOA rules and ask questions about it, like whether solar panels are allowed.
Another use case is to email Alexa the family’s schedule and ask questions, such as, “When is it your turn to bring snacks to soccer practice?” Alexa will answer, put it in your calendar and set a reminder for you.
Alexa+ is also integrated with Suno, which creates music and lyrics through generative AI.
For kids specifically, Amazon unveiled “Explore with Alexa” and “Stories with Alexa.” Mara Segal, director of Alexa, said Alexa can create custom stories for kids. Explore lets kids ask Alexa questions and play games.
Alexa+ can also provide information about sports and finance, as well as other data, thanks to its roster of “hundreds of partners,” said Daniel Rausch, vice president of Alexa and Echo.
These include AP, Business Insider, Reuters, Time, USA Today, Politico, Forbes, The Washington Post and PC Gamer.
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