Amazon has held a press event in New York focused on one of its flagship products: Alexa. The major announcement of the day was the introduction of Alexa+, their new assistant powered by generative AI. The tech giant claims that this revamped version of its emblematic device is more conversational, smarter, and more personalized.
Currently, over 660 million Alexa devices assist users by playing music, answering their questions, or managing their smart homes. These capabilities have been expanded in Alexa+, with new features integrated.
Alexa+ will begin rolling out in the U.S. in the coming weeks through an early access period and will then progressively reach more user groups over the following months. Amazon will give priority to owners of Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21 devices for receiving Alexa+.
The price of Alexa+ will be $21.99 per month, but Prime members will be able to enjoy this technology for free as it will be included in their subscription.
To create Alexa+, Amazon developed what they call “experts”: groups of systems, capabilities, APIs, and instructions capable of executing specific tasks. This technology enables the assistant to orchestrate tens of thousands of services and devices, something that has never been accomplished on such a scale before.
“With these experts, Alexa+ can control your smart home products from Philips Hue, Roborock and more; make bookings or appointments with OpenTable and Vagaro; explore discographies and play music from providers like Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, and iHeartRadio; order food from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market, or deliveries from Grubhub and Uber Eats; remind you when tickets go on sale on Ticketmaster; and use Ring to alert you if someone approaches your house,” the company explains in a statement.
In addition, Alexa+ possesses agent capabilities, making it capable of autonomously browsing the Internet to perform tasks for you. Amazon presents the following scenario to exemplify this capability: “Suppose you need to repair your oven: Alexa+ will be able to browse the Internet, use Thumbtack to discover the relevant service provider, authenticate, organize the repair, and come back to tell you it is ready; no supervision or intervention is necessary.”
The autonomy of Alexa+ is also reflected in its ability to know when to come out of the background to be proactive. This agent will be able to suggest that you leave home early if it detects heavy traffic or notify you that a product you wanted is on sale.
Alexa+ offers a highly personalized experience that you can take to an even greater level if you prefer. This agent will know information such as what you have purchased, what music you listen to, which videos you have watched, which payment methods you use, or where you ship your purchases. However, you can also make it remember details that enhance your experience.
For example, you can ask Alexa+ to memorize important dates, family recipes, dietary preferences, etc. “If you are planning a family dinner, Alexa+ can remember that you love pizza, your daughter is vegetarian, and your partner does not eat gluten, to suggest a recipe or a restaurant,” explains Amazon.
Users will also be able to utilize Alexa+ through a new app that will be available on both the App Store and Google Play, or via a new browser experience at Alexa.com.
The multiple access points to Alexa+ will facilitate a more continuous experience, allowing users to rely on this agent in various spaces and contexts. “You can start a conversation with Alexa+ on your Echo device, continue it while on the move with your phone or in the car, and pick it up again on your computer: Alexa+ remembers the context and can continue the conversation on any of your devices.”
Photo: Amazon
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