As far as digital assistants go, Alexa is probably up there with the likes of Google Assistant and Siri as among the most frequently-used smart voice companions. Like Google and Apple, Amazon has also introduced some new upgrades designed to give Alexa an extra boost, at least in terms of what it can do within a smart home setup. With that in mind, Amazon recently announced Alexa+, an AI-infused version of Alexa that promises significant improvements to usability.
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As with most AI models these days, Alexa+ features a more natural flow in terms of user conversations, similar to how Gemini and ChatGPT handle interactions with user queries. This essentially means that it’s a lot more free-flowing compared to how one would usually issue voice commands with older Alexa-enabled devices, which tend to be repetitive. Amazon says that the architecture behind Alexa+ integrates large language models (LLMs) via Amazon Bedrock, and allows it to works with what Amazon refers to as “experts.”
In this case, an Expert is comprised of specific systems which run different capabilities, instructions and APIs, depending on what tasks a user requires. This then allows Alexa+ to tap into a variety of different smart home devices to carry out commands, which include hardware and software platforms from different brands and service providers including Philips Hue, Roborock, OpenTable, Vagaro, Spotify, Apple Music, iHeartRadio, Whole Foods Market, Grubhub, Uber Eats, and Ticketmaster to name some.
Agentic capabilities are also included with the new upgrade, allowing Alexa+ to automate tasks – for example, if you need something in your home repaired, Alexa+ can search for relevant repair shops and services, authenticate, arrange a repair booking, and then inform you once it’s all been processed. Adding to this is a more personalized user experience, meaning that Alexa+ can keep track of specific food preferences to suggest relevant recipes or restaurants, for example. Users can also choose whether or not to keep Alexa+ active in the background, so it can subtly give related info or tips regarding traffic on your commute, discounts on products that you’ve been eyeing, and more.
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Additionally, users can opt to share their messages, calendar, emails or photos to expand the assistant’s knowledge base, so tasks are more seamlessly handled when you need them. For privacy, Alexa+ will feature a privacy dashboard that gives users control over how much of their data is shared within the service. It should be noted that it will be available on select Amazon devices – the company says that it is prioritizing Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21 device owners during the early access period. An app will also be available for download via Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Another thing to note is that it’s not free – Alexa+ costs $19.99 per month, although Amazon Prime members can get it for free (provided they have supported devices to run it on).
