Amazon is getting ready to launch a premium version of its voice assistant, Alexa, later this year. This upgraded version, possibly called “Alexa Plus,” will run on a more advanced model internally known as “Remarkable Alexa.” With this new technology, users can expect a more natural and personalized conversational experience from the voice assistant. The information comes from a report by Insider.
Discussing the significant update, Prasad explained to Tech Today, “We’ve taken a major leap by making generative AI practical for homes through a personal AI that’s there for you when needed and fades into the background when not. This is possible because we’ve harnessed the capabilities of generative AI, large language models, and integrated them with real-time devices and services on a scale that hasn’t been achieved before.“
The update also includes personal context integration, such as preferences for food, entertainment, and games. Additionally, they aimed to make Alexa a trustworthy AI with a pleasant personality. Prasad mentioned, “We’ve designed this model to be ideal for voice interactions in households, catering to individuals ranging from two to 100 years old.“
Prasad emphasizes that, for Amazon, it’s not just about making Alexa smarter; it’s equally crucial to make it relatable to users.
You can also read about Amazon’s Game-Changing Innovations at CES 2024 in detail on our website.
Expected New AI Features in Alexa
When asked about the potential need for increased interoperability, Prasad responded, “We’ve always been supportive of interoperability and offering customers choices because that’s the right approach. Amazon, with its vast array of products, believes in providing the largest selection to customers. In the foundation of AWS, there are multiple Large Language Model (LLM) providers to ensure customers have diverse options. Similarly, with Alexa, we offer various services, some of which are not our own.”
Now, Alexa has the ability to respond to requests like composing a poem, suggesting ideas for a date night, and offering insights into a football game. Limp also showcased a feature where the voice assistant can assist in composing a text message. However, during the demonstration, there were some awkward pauses and instances where the prompts had to be repeated before receiving a response from Alexa.
According to a report from Reuters, Alexa is set to have more natural conversations next year, shedding its robotic tone that has been present for nearly a decade. The voice assistant will be able to answer questions about various topics, such as the start time for football games and recipe ideas. This effort by the Seattle-based company to enhance Alexa’s capabilities comes in response to the emergence of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which gained attention in November for providing detailed answers to complex questions. The success of similar chatbots has led to increased investor interest in startups specializing in generative AI.
