Dive Brief:
- Amazon revamped its personal AI assistant to make Alexa more “conversational, smarter and personalized” than its predecessor, the company said Wednesday. Alexa+ is powered by generative AI and focuses on further helping consumers with daily tasks.
- Amazon upgraded its large language models the device follows, creating “experts.” These groups of systems, application programming interfaces and instructions are programmed to accomplish more specific requests for customers.
- For example, Alexa+ can take smart home directions with products from Phillips Hue and Roborock, make reservations with OpenTable and Vagaro, order groceries from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market and send reminders for ticket sales on Ticketmaster.
Dive Insight:
Amazon wants its personal assistant tool to work harder and do more for users with its latest upgrade. With various consumer-facing task upgrades surrounding automation, music, home and delivery, the tool connects to various third-party platforms.
Users can share documents, emails, photos and messages for Alexa+ to remember, summarize or take action on. Alexa+ has agentic capabilities, which allow the tool to self-direct internet navigation, completing tasks on the consumers behalf.
Alexa+ costs $19.99 per month, but Amazon Prime members get it free as a Prime benefit. During an early access period, the tool will roll out in the U.S. in the coming weeks to Echo Show 8, 10, 15 and 21 devices. Users can access Alexa+ in a new mobile app on the App Store and Google Play store and a browser-based experience at Alexa.com.
“Across Amazon, we’re harnessing the transformative power of GenAI to reimagine the experiences we offer customers, and Alexa+ is the latest example,” Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon, said in a LinkedIn post.
Like many other major players in tech, Amazon is making large investments in generative AI, some of which are consumer facing. Amazon launched its AI shopping tool Rufus last year, also powered by generative AI on its mobile app and website. Jassy last year said that Amazon would deepen its relationship with and further invest in generative AI. He told shareholders that generative AI serves as a building block of a foundation for new products and services from the company.
In 2023, Amazon let go of “several hundred” U.S. and Canada-based positions in its Alexa unit.