In Biggest Update Ever, Amazon Packs AI Into Alexa+; You Can Do So Much With It - Free For Some

Amazon has made one of the most advanced updates to Alexa, powering the popular digital assistant with artificial intelligence. The overhaul is the biggest Alexa has received since its debut over a decade ago in 2014, masterminded by Jeff Bezos.

Panos Panay, senior vice president of devices and services at Amazon, stated at a New York event that the redesigned service, which Amazon is calling “Alexa+,” is driven by generative AI. 

The move comes as Amazon, under  Panay, aims to leverage Alexa, its biggest consumer electronics franchise, for AI-powered functions in a bid to make it an even more powerful assistant for users.

With the launch of Alexa+, Amazon aimed to emphasise that Alexa is more than simply a helpful tool for queries and responses; it can also function as a user’s “agent” and take action on their behalf.

According to Amazon, Alexa+ is designed to act on behalf of users for a host of things. This includes ordering groceries, making dinner reservations, buying concert tickets, and even getting recipe recommendations for different members in a family. 

Alexa+ is also capable of organising handwritten documents and retrieving information from them, as well as reading study guides and testing users on their responses.

Amazon demonstrated this by having Alexa+ look up and book an oven repair service. Users can leave Alexa+ to finish tasks like these, and the service will “come back to you” with responses that are transmitted to their phone via text message or the Alexa app, Amazon said.

“She’ll learn the rhythm of your life and proactively take action with you,” Panay said. According to Panay, Alexa+ will be compatible with “almost every” Alexa device shipped by the company. 

Alexa+ will remember user preferences, including finding the name of preferred song, discover new favourite shows or recipes, create bedtime stories, view team recaps, and reorder food from favourite restaurants. It will also be capable of holding longer conversations with users.

Check the brief list of what Alexa+ can do for you below - do know that this is not a comprehensive list

Order groceries

Make dinner reservations

Buy concert tickets

Get recipe recommendations for other family members.

Organise handwritten documents

Retrieve information

Remember user preferences

Discover favourite shows or recipes

Create bedtime stories,

View team recaps,

Order food from favourite restaurants

Hold long conversations with users

Amazon will charge customers a monthly subscription fee to use a version of Alexa for the first time. The programme will launch in early access next month and cost $19.99 per month, or free for Amazon Prime members.