Unlock the Future: Discover Amazon’s Exciting New AI-Powered Alexa Plus!

Amazon is launching a new version of Alexa that uses generative AI. This upgrade aims to make interacting with your smart home easier and more intuitive.

With Alexa Plus, you can ask it to do tasks like ordering groceries or sending invites to friends. It will remember details about your diet and movie choices too, making it more personalized.

This version of Alexa can hold conversations without needing to repeat “Alexa” all the time. It even has vision skills to take and analyze photos. For example, it can check concert ticket availability and help you find local businesses or make dinner reservations. Plus, it can read study materials and quiz you on them.

Alexa Plus still controls smart devices like lights and cameras, but now it can create routines for you too. You can also ask Alexa to find songs based on vague clues or even jump to specific scenes in movies, although it may take a few tries.

During a recent demo, Amazon’s VP Panos Panay asked Alexa if anyone had walked the dog. Alexa used smart home cameras for the answer, showing off its new abilities.

Mara Segal from Amazon displayed how you can share documents like notes, recipes, and pictures with Alexa. For instance, she asked it to read a housing document regarding solar energy rules and a schedule from SXSW.

Segal also showed that Alexa can take simple prompts, like a kid’s soccer schedule, and set reminders or calendar events using everyday speech.

Amazon first announced its AI plans for Alexa in September 2023, promising better contextual understanding and automated routines. However, by June, reports suggested the company faced struggles and some employees were skeptical about the new version’s success.

The leadership changed too, with Panos Panay replacing longtime head Dave Limp, bringing new perspectives to the Alexa team.

Amazon’s AI Alexa enters a competitive landscape filled with other digital assistants like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Siri. However, these bots aren’t yet in smart speakers, giving Amazon a chance to connect its AI with a larger audience. Now, it just needs to get its new Alexa out there.