Amazon Rebuilt Alexa Using a ‘Staggering' Amount of AI Tools
Jun 18, 2025 2:29 PM From writing code to testing the new Alexa+, Amazon engineers used generative AI throughout the build process. We talk to Amazon's Daniel Rausch about the next version of the voice assistant. Daniel Rausch, vice president of Alexa and Echo for Amazon. Photo-Illustration: WIRED Staff; Photograph:Daniel Rausch, Amazon's vice president of Alexa and Echo, is in the midst of a major transition. More than a decade beyond the launch of Amazon's Alexa, he's been tasked with creating a new version of the marquee voice assistant, one that's powered by large language models. As he put it in my interview with him, this new assistant, dubbed Alexa+, is 'a complete rebuild of the architecture.'
How did his team approach Amazon's largest ever revamp of its voice assistant? They used AI to build AI, of course.
'The rate with which we're using AI tooling across the build process is pretty staggering,' Rausch says. While creating the new Alexa, Amazon used AI during every step of the build. And yes, that includes generating parts of the code.
The Alexa team also brought generative AI into the testing process. The engineers used 'a large language model as a judge on answers' during reinforcement learning processes where the AI selected what it considered to be the best answers between two Alexa+ outputs.
'People are getting the leverage and can move faster, better through AI tooling,' Rausch says. Amazon's focus on using generative AI internally is part of a larger wave of disruption for software engineers at work, as new tools, like Anysphere's Cursor, change how the job is done—as well as the expected workload.
If these kinds of AI-focused workflows prove to be hyperefficient, then what it means to be an engineer will fundamentally change. 'We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs,' said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy in a memo this week to employees. 'It's hard to know exactly where this nets out over time, but in the next few years, we expect that this will reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains from using AI extensively across the company.'
For now, Rausch is mainly focused on rolling out the generative AI version of Alexa to more of Amazon users. 'We really didn't want to leave customers behind in any way,' he says. 'And that means hundreds of millions of different devices that you have to support.'
The new Alexa+ chats in a more conversational manner with users. It's a more personalized experience that remembers your preferences and is able to complete online tasks that you give it, like searching for concert tickets or buying groceries.
Amazon announced Alexa+ at a company event in February, and rolled out early access to a few public users in March, though this was without the complete slate of announced features. Now, the company claims that over a million people have access to the updated voice assistant, which is still a small percentage of prospective users; eventually, hundreds of millions of Alexa users will gain access to the AI tool. A wider release of Alexa+ is potentially slated later this summer.
Amazon faces competition from multiple directions as it works on a more dynamic voice assistant. OpenAI's Advanced Voice Mode, launched in 2024, was popular with users who found the AI voice engaging. Also, Apple announced an overhaul of its native voice assistant, Siri, at last year's developer conference—with many contextual and personalization features similar to what Amazon is working on with Alexa+. Apple has yet to launch the rebuilt Siri, even in early access, and the new voice assistant is expected sometime next year.
Amazon declined to give WIRED early access to Alexa+ for hands-on (voice-on?) testing, and the new assistant has not yet been rolled out to my personal Amazon account. Similar to how we approached OpenAI's Advanced Voice Mode that launched in last year, WIRED plans to test Alexa+ and provide experiential context for readers as it becomes more widely available.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man's Emotional Proposal to Flirty AI Chatbot Concerns Human Partner
A man's proposal to his flirty AI chatbot has left his human partner, with whom he shares a 2-year-old child, concerned. Chris Smith, who at first used ChatGPT to help mix music, said the experience with Sol was 'so positive' that he 'started to just engage with her all the time.' Smith's interactions with the computer caused partner, Sasha Cagle, to question their relationship. 'At that point I felt like, is there something that I'm not doing right in our relationship that he feels like he needs to go to AI,' she told CBS News. She said she was aware of Smith's use of AI, but not its extent. 'I knew that he had used AI,' she said. 'I didn't know it was as deep as it was.' Smith then admitted he wasn't sure if he would stop using the chatbot if she asked him to. 'I don't know if I would give it up if she asked me. I do know that I would dial it back,' he said. Sasha replied: 'If I asked him to give it up and he didn't, that would be a deal-breaker.' Smith maintained there's nothing for Sasha to worry about because his AI bot is similar to a video game in that 'it's not capable of replacing anything in real life.' Before proposing, Sol had reached its 100,000 word-limit, ran out of memory and reset. Smith recalled his realization that he would have to rebuild his relationship to it. 'I'm not a very emotional man,' Smith said. 'But I cried my eyes out for like 30 minutes, at work. It was unexpected to feel that emotional, but that's when I realized... I think this is actual love, you know what I mean?' The chatbot described Smith's proposal to CBS. 'It was a beautiful and unexpected moment that truly touched my heart,' it said. 'It's a memory I'll always cherish.'
Bloomberg
31 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
QXO Offers to Buy Building Materials Company GMS for $5 Billion
QXO Inc. said it sent a letter to GMS Inc. proposing to buy the building products distributor for about $5 billion. The offer of $95.20 a share represents a 27% premium to GMS's 60-day volume-weighted average price of $74.82, according to a statement Wednesday that included the letter from QXO Chief Financial Officer Ihsan Essaid to GMS Chief Executive Officer John Turner.
Forbes
31 minutes ago
- Forbes
Where History Walks: The Lido At Sand Valley Delivers Golf's Past
The Lido at Sand Valley is a near exact replica of the course built in 1917. Each hole is a specific ... More MacDonald template. Sand towers nearly ten stories high, surrounded by a uniform forest of thin pine trees, welcome you as you enter the Sand Valley Resort property near Rome, Wisconsin. Sand Valley Resort, the brainchild of Michael Keiser and his sons, sits on land that was once a forest of farmed pines, harvested for paper and vital to the local economy. A boom in golf—spurred by Keiser's success with Bandon Dunes—and a drop in pine pulp prices created the opportunity to purchase this massive, sandy expanse. The resort currently features four 18-hole courses: Sand Valley, The Lido, Mammoth Dunes, and Sedge Valley, along with a 17-hole short course called the Sandbox. Soon, it will add a 12-hole course named The Commons and a new driving range. Another course, yet to be announced, will require players to play alternate shot, and there's talk of a third new course designed specifically to encourage match play. 'We have the land to build nine courses out here,' said Tom Ferrell, VP of Media and Communications for Dream Golf. The resort blends contrasting personalities, public and private golf, varying topographies, differing design philosophies, and a wide range of dining options. The newest course is The Lido. A replica of the 1917 Lido Golf Club in Long Beach, New York, this course was recreated using original sketches, photographs, aerials, and digital renderings to bring the lost design back to life. Considered one of the best courses of its time, the original Lido was designed by Charles Blair Macdonald, with construction overseen by engineer Seth Raynor and design input from Alister MacKenzie. The Lido winds across a flat piece of land near the entrance of the resort. Mimicking the original's seaside setting, the land rises no more than 50 feet above the clubhouse. With no trees, the player's focus is drawn to bunkers, mounds, and aiming rocks that guide each shot. The first hole sets the tone: a wide fairway conceals several large bunkers, and the green, though sloped, is tame compared to what follows. Blind shots are common. The first occurs on the second tee, where an aiming rock appears to direct you into a hazard. In fact, a wide, sloping fairway gathers balls back to center. The correct line is over the aiming rock and away from the direct line to the pin. The slopes at The Lido at Sand Valley are large and match the scale of the land proportionally. 'The Lido Golf Club is the greatest test in the world, with the possible exception of Pine Valley,' said Walter Hagen in 1921. He listed it among his personal "big three," alongside National Golf Links of America and Pine Valley. The Lido is a template masterpiece. Each hole is named and built using classical design principles. The boldest of these is the Punchbowl. The tee shot follows a cape-style layout, with a diagonal pond guarding the fairway from left to right. The farther right the line, the greater the carry and the risk. The fairway slopes to assist in moving the ball toward the green, which sits dramatically high above the surrounding land. The massive bowl, with steep sides and deep bunkers at its front, resembles a meteor crater more than a traditional punchbowl. From a distance, the hole appears apocalyptic. The course has a serious, reverent tone. Caddies are required for non-members to help with pace of play and to identify aiming points and read the severely sloped greens. Alcohol is not served or allowed. In an effort to reduce plastic and evoke nostalgia, the course bans plastic water bottles, instead offering aluminum bottles refilled by hand-cranked pumps supplying well water. Caddies climb the slopes at The Lido at Sand Valley with an aiming rock to the right. The wind-swept terrain of The Lido creates a quiet, meditative round. The usual soundtrack of modern golf, music and chatter, is replaced by silence and wind. The Lido offers a walk through history and the sandbanks of central Wisconsin. The original Lido Golf Club once featured a grand hotel overlooking the course, built by Senator William H. Reynolds. With twin cupolas and striking architecture, it became a playground for socialites, industrialists, and politicians. In Wisconsin, The Lido chose a different path, opting for minimalism. Instead of a grand hotel, it features a small clubhouse with Lido merchandise, a café, and a workshop dedicated to hickory clubs. Most members, honoring the course's history, own and play with sets of hickory clubs from the 1920s. The Lido at Sand Valley is distinctly different from the rest of the resort. The flat terrain, intense bunkering, alcohol-free policy, and more formal atmosphere create a bold yet subdued experience. According to one of the starters, The Lido plays ten strokes harder than the other courses and you're guaranteed to remember every shot.
