Latest news with #Alexa-connected
Gulf Business
23-04-2025
- Business
- Gulf Business
How Alexa is powering the Gulf's smart home boom
Amazon's regional general manager and global product lead for Alexa, Dr Raf Fatani. A 28 per cent rise in Alexa users last year reflects not just growing smart home adoption, but the impact of hyper-localisation — from Khaleeji Arabic to prayer reminders. Amazon sees this as just the beginning of a deeply regional transformation. And in this Q&A, Amazon's regional general manager and global product lead for Alexa, Dr Raf Fatani, tells us more about the trends driving this adoption. We're seeing an increase in smart home adoption in Saudi Arabia and UAE. What are the key factors driving this rapid adoption of smart home technology in the region? When we launched Alexa with local dialectal Khaleeji Arabic support, we were eagerly waiting to hear back from our customers about the experience we offered in Saudi Arabia and the Emirates. And to be honest what we are witnessing has exceeded our expectations. Last year alone, we saw a 28 per cent growth in monthly active Alexa customers across Saudi Arabia and UAE. It was clear that customers are using Alexa to make their lives easier, and found a meaningful use for the technology. Knowing that homes in Saudi Arabia and the UAE use our technology that is woven in their family life is nothing short of humbling. Grandparents who might have been hesitant about new devices are now not only using our Echo devices as digital photo frames of family photos, but also asking Alexa for prayer times, making video calls with grandchildren, setting reminders to take vitamins and other supplements. Parents and caretakers are using voice technology that understands their dialect and cultural context to help in their everyday lives by asking Alexa to tell local children's stories, play fawazeer, watch videos, or even play white noise to help them sleep. This transformation isn't happening in isolation. Both countries have created environments where digital innovation can thrive, with clear national visions for technological advancement that touches every part of society. Within this supportive environment, families are discovering how AI voice technology can enhance daily routines rather than distract them from what's more meaningful or important to them. What's particularly interesting is how quickly people expand their smart home experience once they start. We've seen a 35 per cent year-over-year increase in Alexa-connected devices, which tells that once families experience the convenience of controlling lights, air conditioning systems, or seeing who's at the door with smart doorbells, using just their voice, they find more ways to integrate this technology into their daily lives. The most important factor has been our focus on deep hyper-localisation. By ensuring Alexa understands Arabic dialects including all Khaleeji dialects, and responds appropriately to culturally specific requests, we've built technology that feels like it belongs to the local community rather than something imported from elsewhere. This locally built cultural adaptation has made all the difference in how readily families have welcomed Alexa into their most personal spaces. What are the most popular applications of this technology that you're observing in Saudi Arabia and UAE? What fascinates me most about how people in Saudi Arabia and the UAE use Alexa is the beautiful weaving of tradition and innovation in a meaningful way. Let me share a story that really brings this to life. Mohammad Saeed, a visually impaired Saudi who now lives independently in Riyadh despite daily challenges of being blind transformed his entire home using Alexa. When guests arrive at his special coffee corner, Alexa welcomes them, offers different coffee options, and even prepares their selection using a smart coffee machine. This traditional gesture of Arabic hospitality now happens seamlessly through voice technology, allowing Mohammad to be an incredible host despite his visual impairment. This story reflects a broader pattern of inclusivity and impactful use of our technology we're seeing across the region – something to be incredibly proud of. Another interesting observations is the use of Alexa to help customer with their daily spiritual practices. When we build at amazon, we tend to put the customer at the heart of what we build. Knowing the importance of faith to the region, we built Alexa here with spirituality offerings as an Alexa fist. In 2024 alone, we had over 5.1 million prayer reminders and 1.69 million 'Athkar' actions requested through Alexa between Saudi Arabia and UAE – astonishing! Rather than technology distracting, we're seeing it enhance these deeply meaningful routines. And it gets interesting—we all know the passion for football for instance runs deep in both countries, and we see that reflected in the over 5 million football-related questions to Alexa received last year, with fans checking scores, asking about upcoming matches, and debating player statistics or even facts about players. These conversations with Alexa allows us to understand our customer interests better, and this in turn helps Alexa serve them better. I love how customers quickly move beyond novelty to make Alexa an essential part of their routines. Don't take that from me, the data tells us so. Our customers average 180 interactions monthly, showing they're not just experimenting with the technology—they're relying on it. The 35 per cent growth in connected devices tells us that once families experience the convenience of smart homes, they find ways to extend that throughout their homes—creating environments that honour traditional values while embracing modern conveniences. Engagement with voice assistants is clearly high. How do you see this level of interaction evolving in the coming years? When I think about the future of voice technology in our region, I'm reminded by something we always say at Amazon, 'it's still Day 1' – which means maintaining a long-term focus, obsessing over customers, and bold innovation. In short, despite seeing a 28 per cent growth in monthly active users across Saudi Arabia and the UAE, we believe we're just at the beginning of this journey. Imagine a home that knows when you're arriving tired from work and automatically adjusts the lighting, temperature, and perhaps even has your favourite relaxation playlist ready without you saying a word. Or consider how meaningful it would be for an elderly family member to have their medication routines gently managed through reminders that feel like a caring presence, not intrusive technology. We're already seeing this evolution in how people use features like Routines. Instead of manually tracking prayer times, for instance, many families now rely on Alexa to naturally integrate these spiritual moments into their day. The technology fades into the background while supporting what matters most. Our approach is to work backward from the most meaningful human needs. We ask: what would make daily life in a local home more harmonious? How can we honour the traditions that matter while removing mundane everyday tasks? The future we envision isn't about more screen time or more commands — it's actually about less direct interaction with devices. So, as our ambient intelligence evolves, technology will become more anticipatory and responsive to context, understanding the subtle rhythms of family life without requiring constant guidance. Every week, we learn more about how our customers want to interact with technology. These insights guide our innovation as we continue to develop experiences that feel like they were designed specifically for our homes here locally. What are the key challenges and opportunities you see for the smart home market in Saudi Arabia and UAE in the next five years? Over the next five years, I see both interesting challenges and tremendous opportunities for smart homes in our region. Let me start with a challenge we hear about frequently. Many customers tell us stories of purchasing different smart devices that won't talk to each other – creating frustration instead of convenience. With the 35 per cent growth we've seen in Alexa-connected devices, it's clear that customers don't want technology islands; they want a unified experience where everything works together seamlessly, regardless of brand. On the opportunity side, I'm genuinely excited about how we can further develop features that reflect the cultural context of our homes. The enthusiastic response to our spirituality or how customers are using different features – with over 5 million requests each – shows how powerfully technology resonates when it's aligned with local interests and values. The rollout of ultrafast connectivity across the region creates another significant opportunity. This enhanced connectivity will allow smart home devices to communicate more reliably and respond more quickly, making the entire experience more seamless. The large investments from AWS in Data-Centre Regions in both countries in a critical component of that. Perhaps most encouraging is the 28 per cent growth we've seen in monthly active users. This tells us people are finding real value in the technology, but we know we're just beginning to deliver on the potential. Our approach is built on long-term thinking – we're not looking for quick wins but rather building relationships with customers that will last for decades. It's really still Day One. By listening carefully to feedback from local families, we'll continue evolving our products to serve their unique needs, creating experiences that feel less like using technology and more like having helpful magic in your home. Read:
Observer
27-02-2025
- Business
- Observer
Amazon unveils Alexa+, powered by generative AI
Amazon's Alexa is undergoing its biggest overhaul since debuting more than a decade ago. On Wednesday, Amazon said it was giving Alexa a new brain powered by generative artificial intelligence. The update, called Alexa+, is set to make the virtual assistant more conversational and helpful in booking concert tickets, coordinating calendars and suggesting food to be delivered. Alexa+ will cost $19.99 a month or be included for customers who pay for Amazon's Prime membership program, which costs $14.99 a month. It will begin rolling out next month. 'Until right this moment, right this moment, we have been limited by the technology,' Panos Panay, the head of Amazon's devices, said at a media event. 'Alexa+ is that trusted assistant that can help you conduct your life and your home.' With the changes, Amazon is aiming to catch up in generative AI for everyday users. While the Seattle company has in recent months made up for lost time in AI products and services that it sells to businesses and other organizations, its grip on consumer AI products has been narrower. Alexa's upgrades, which were first teased in 2023, are Amazon's biggest bet on becoming a force in consumer AI. The moves are also an opportunity to reboot Alexa, which has been perceived as having fallen behind other virtual assistants. In recent years, Alexa's growth in the United States has generally stagnated, according to the research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, with people turning to the assistant for only a few main tasks, such as setting timers and alarms, playing music and asking questions about the weather and sports scores. At Wednesday's event, Panay and other Amazon executives demonstrated how Alexa+ could do those things in a more personalized manner. Alexa+ could identify who was speaking and know the person's preferences, such as favorite sports teams, musicians and foods, they said. They also showed how a device powered by Alexa+ could suggest a restaurant, book a reservation on OpenTable, order an Uber and send a calendar invitation. Alexa, which was a brainchild of Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder, debuted in 2014, wowing people with its ability to take verbal requests and translate them into actions. It became a symbol of Amazon's innovation. Over the years, the company has highlighted some Alexa-connected devices, including Echo speakers, a connected microwave, a wall clock and a twerking teddy bear. But wild experimentation has been out since Bezos stepped down as Amazon's CEO in 2021 and handed the company over to Andy Jassy, a longtime executive. Jassy reined in Amazon's expenses, killed some projects that appeared to have no obvious prospects and oversaw layoffs. In 2023, he hired Panay, a Microsoft executive, to oversee devices. Panay's top responsibility was to bring generative AI to Alexa and to unlock the promise of the all-helpful assistant that Amazon had long envisioned. Soon after Panay started, Amazon said it was rebuilding Alexa's brain with the kind of technologies that underpinned OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot. 'The re-architecture of all of Alexa has happened,' Panay said Wednesday. As Amazon worked to update Alexa, competitors leapfrogged it. ChatGPT, for example, can hold extended, in-depth conversations, with some people developing emotional — and even sexual — relationships with AI personas. (The New York Times has sued OpenAI and its partner, Microsoft, claiming copyright infringement of news content related to AI systems. The companies have denied the claims.) Bringing generative AI to Alexa was not easy because the virtual assistant faces challenges that a chatbot does not. Alexa might serve multiple users in a household, for instance, so it needs to distinguish who is speaking and personalize the responses. Amazon also wants Alexa to be at the center of people's lives and connected to multiple smart devices and services, which is complicated. It must integrate multiple AI systems, including ones built by Amazon and the startup Anthropic, and interact with devices such as smart lightbulbs and with apps including Ticketmaster. Amazon also gave Alexa+ a personality, even training it with comedians to make it funny. 'In the fall, it was just too slow,' Panay said in an interview. Generative AI has also been afflicted by 'hallucinations,' or when the AI systems serve up incorrect information. Because Alexa interacts with the real world — playing a song, ordering a product, turning off an alarm — Panay said Alexa had to reliably get things right. He said he believed Alexa+ was finally both fast and accurate. 'I think people will fall in love with it pretty quickly.' This article originally appeared in
New York Times
26-02-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Amazon Unveils Alexa+, Powered by Generative A.I.
Amazon's Alexa is undergoing its biggest overhaul since debuting more than a decade ago. On Wednesday, Amazon said it was giving Alexa a new brain powered by generative artificial intelligence. The update, called Alexa+, is set to make the virtual assistant more conversational and helpful in booking concert tickets, coordinating calendars and suggesting food to be delivered. Alexa+ will cost $19.99 a month or be included for customers who pay for Amazon's Prime membership program. It will roll out next month. 'Until right this moment, right this moment, we have been limited by the technology,' Panos Panay, the head of Amazon's devices, said at a media event. 'Alexa+ is that trusted assistant that can help you conduct your life and your home.' With the changes, Amazon is aiming to catch up in generative A.I. for everyday users. While the Seattle-based company has in recent months made up for lost time in A.I. products and services that it sells to businesses and other organizations, its grip on consumer A.I. products has been narrower. Alexa's upgrades, which were first teased in 2023, are Amazon's biggest bet on becoming a force in consumer A.I. The moves are also an opportunity to reboot Alexa, which has been perceived as having fallen behind other virtual assistants. In recent years, Alexa's growth in the United States has generally stagnated, according to the research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, with people turning to the assistant for only a few main tasks, such as setting timers and alarms, playing music and asking questions about the weather and sports scores. At Wednesday's event, Mr. Panay and other Amazon executives demonstrated how Alexa+ could do those things in a more personalized manner. Alexa+ could identify who was speaking and know their preferences, such as favorite sports teams, musicians and foods, they said. They also showed how a device powered by Alexa+ could suggest a restaurant, book a reservation on OpenTable, order an Uber and send a calendar invite. Alexa, which was a brainchild of Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder, debuted in 2014, wowing people with its ability to take verbal requests and translate them into actions. It became a symbol of Amazon's innovation. Over the years, the company has highlighted some Alexa-connected devices, including Echo speakers, a connected microwave, wall clock and twerking teddy bear. But wild experimentation has been out since Mr. Bezos stepped down as Amazon's chief executive in 2021 and handed the company over to Andy Jassy, a longtime executive. Mr. Jassy reined in Amazon's expenses, killed some projects that appeared to have no obvious prospects and oversaw layoffs. In 2023, he hired Mr. Panay, a Microsoft executive, to oversee devices. Mr. Panay's top responsibility was to bring generative A.I. to Alexa and to unlock the promise of the all-helpful assistant that Amazon had long envisioned. Soon after Mr. Panay started, Amazon said it was rebuilding Alexa's brain with the kind of technologies that underpinned OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot. 'The re-architecture of all of Alexa has happened,' Mr. Panay said on Wednesday. As Amazon worked to update Alexa, competitors have leapfrogged it. ChatGPT, for example, can hold extended, in-depth conversations, with some people developing emotional — and even sexual — relationships with A.I. personas. (The New York Times has sued OpenAI and its partner, Microsoft, claiming copyright infringement of news content related to A.I. systems. The companies have denied the claims.) Bringing generative A.I. to Alexa was not easy because the virtual assistant faces challenges that a chatbot does not. Alexa might serve multiple users in a household, for instance, so it needs to distinguish who is speaking. Amazon also wants Alexa to be at the center of people's lives and connected to multiple smart devices, which is complicated. Rohit Prasad, who heads the development of Amazon's A.I. systems, said in an interview last year that he had 23 different devices, like smart lightbulbs, controlled through his Alexa system. 'It's extremely hard to do that right, with high reliability, every day,' he said. Generative A.I. has also been afflicted by 'hallucinations,' or when the A.I. systems serve up incorrect information. Because Alexa interacts with the real world — playing a song, ordering a product, turning off an alarm — customers must see Alexa as a reliable assistant, Mr. Prasad said. 'You cannot afford the kind of hallucination rates that can happen if you're executing your light switches,' he said.
