Alexa+ is Amazon's AI-powered revamp of virtual assistant Alexa
Amazon (AMZN) has unveiled a new, smarter version of its virtual assistant Alexa which has a range of fresh AI-powered features built in.
The tech giant has been one of the last big firms to embrace the generative AI boom, despite having had the most widely used AI assistant – Alexa – before the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 kicked off the current tech arms race.
At an event in New York, the US firm unveiled Alexa+, which the company says has undergone a 'complete rearchitecture' in order to become a smarter personal assistant.
It will begin rolling out from next month, initially in the US, costing 20 US dollars (£15.75) a month as part of a new subscription system – but will be free to those with Amazon Prime, and will work with 'almost all' existing Alexa-powered Amazon Echo devices.
As part of the upgrade, users can now more intelligently move between different apps and services to complete requests – for example users can ask Alexa to find a local restaurant, book a table, add it to the family calendar and text a babysitter about the plans, and the assistant can move between all the different apps required and complete the task.
In addition, Amazon announced that users will now be able to upload documents to Alexa, and ask it to summarise key details from it, setting reminders or adding dates to calendars if needed.
This move mirrors generative AI-powered summarisation tools that fellow tech giants Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG, GOOGL) and Samsung (005930.KS) have added to their smartphones over the last year, enabling users to have their emails and files summarised for them.
Amazon also confirmed that the new Alexa+ will include AI agent capabilities, meaning users can give it a specific task and Alexa can browse the web autonomously on their behalf to complete it.
In a demo on-stage, the tech giant showed how a user could tell Alexa their oven was broken and to find a repair service, with the AI assistant then searching the internet for a nearby appliance repair service, confirming with the user, then booking an appointment to have the device fixed.
Amazon said the new Alexa was using a range of AI models to carry out all these new tasks, including its own new model, Nova, and AI firm Anthropic's – which Amazon is a major investor in.
Industry expert and analyst Paolo Pescatore, of PP Foresight, said Amazon's announcement was a significant moment given the prevalence of Alexa-powered devices in homes already, saying it was 'taking AI to the masses'.
'There's a lot riding on this revamp service given the lengthy delays and to justify the huge investments poured into AI and everything else,' he said.
'We are now starting to see meaningful developments in the world of AI that promise to offer users a personalised experience.
'The biggest question is whether users are ready, given their early experiences and concerns around security and trust.
'These factors still remain huge barriers to wider adoption.
'If executed well, it should resonate with customers rather than getting users to fork out for another additional monthly fee.
'All of these latest moves reinforce the importance of Prime and providing users with a one-stop shop for nearly everything.'
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