Amazon has announced a major overhaul of its virtual assistant Alexa, introducing a new update called Alexa+ powered by generative artificial intelligence. The update will make Alexa more conversational and helpful in everyday tasks such as booking concert tickets, coordinating calendars, and suggesting food deliveries. Alexa+ will cost $19.99 a month or be included for Amazon Prime members and will begin rolling out next month.
The changes are seen as Amazon’s effort to catch up in consumer A.I. products as it has made strides in A.I. services for businesses. The move is also an opportunity to reboot Alexa, which has been perceived as falling behind other virtual assistants. The update aims to make Alexa more personalized, with the ability to identify user preferences and make suggestions based on past interactions.
Panos Panay, head of Amazon’s devices, highlighted the new features of Alexa+ at a media event, showcasing its capabilities in setting reminders, playing music, ordering food, and more. The update comes after Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos stepped down as CEO and current CEO Andy Jassy focused on streamlining operations and investing in innovative projects.
With the introduction of generative A.I. to Alexa, Amazon hopes to make the virtual assistant faster and more accurate in responding to user requests. This move also puts Amazon in a better position to compete with other A.I. systems that have made advancements in conversational capabilities. Despite challenges such as differentiating between multiple users and preventing “hallucinations,” Amazon believes that Alexa+ will attract users with its improved performance and functionality.
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