Amazon’s new AI-powered Alexa promises to be your ‘best friend in a digital world’ for a monthly fee
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon on Wednesday unveiled a generative-AI infused Alexa that it says will allow the popular voice assistant to have more personality, check a user’s tone and even plan romantic dates.
But unlike before, when Alexa was offered for free on any Alexa-enabled devices, customers will have to pay Amazon a monthly fee of $19.99 for the revamped voice assistant, which it calls “Alexa+”. However, the generative-AI powered Alexa will be free for Prime members, who pay the company a monthly or annual fee for free delivery and other perks.
At a media event held in New York City, Amazon executives showed off the update to the 10-year-old digital assistant with the new features aimed at boosting sales and interactions with Alexa-enabled devices.
The company says Alexa+ is able to have conversations with a more natural, humanlike flow and can learn more about a user — such as dietary preferences or allergies — the more it’s used.
“I’m not just an assistant, I’m your new best friend in the digital world,” Alexa+ said during an onstage demo on Wednesday.
At the event, Panos Panay, Amazon’s vice president of devices & services, listed the other things the voice assistant can do, such as create study plans, text a babysitter and call an Uber ride for a friend. He and other company executives also said Alexa can fetch videos from Ring cameras — such as checking whether a user’s dog was walked that day — and is able to remember handwritten recipes, emails and other documents shared with it.
A subscription fee for the revamped Alexa will allow the company to offset costs related to AI development and help its devices operations become more profitable.




