Amazon has announced significant advancements to its AI-powered voice assistant, Alexa+, at a recent Devices & Services event. The upgrade introduces enhanced features aimed at providing a more intuitive and personalized user experience.
Alexa+ aims to provide a far more conversational AI experience, utilizing natural language understanding to simplify interactions. Amazon is working to create an assistant that feels “genuine.” With increased usage, Alexa+ is designed to customize itself to a user’s preferences by learning from commands and tasks.
Tasks are designed to be more integrated with a user’s daily activities. The upgraded version of Alexa can now assist with tasks such as scheduling events, helping with travel arrangements, and aiding in study sessions.
Users can also set up “Routines” with Alexa+ for automated actions. These routines offer a range of functions, including moving music between rooms, providing summaries of Ring camera footage, and locating specific scenes within movies or shows via Fire TV.
Moreover, Alexa+ allows users to share documents and forward emails, which the assistant can then analyze and recall. Users can request a summary or a detailed breakdown of the information.
According to 9to5Google, Alexa+ may soon be able to create stories for children, make restaurant or Uber reservations, and provide recommendations.
Alexa+ is available for $19.99 per month, but comes free with an Amazon Prime subscription.
For many years, Alexa has stood out as a leading AI voice assistant in the tech market, competing with rivals like Apple’s Siri and Google’s Assistant. Despite its dominance, Amazon is determined to further enhance the capabilities of its assistant.
Last year, there were reports that Amazon was working on “supercharging” Alexa into more than just an assistant. Generative AI is expected to unlock new functionalities for the system.
As one of the top-rated smart home assistants, Alexa already has many features that are a hit with users, and the new upgrade aims to increase the overall quality of the experience even more.
Amazon has also focused on accessibility, with users now able to control the assistant with eye gaze for a truly hands-free experience.
