Meet Alexa+! Amazon introduces a more personalized, autonomous and intelligent AI assistant

Amazon officially launched its artificial intelligence (AI) power version of its voice assistant, Alexa+, marking a major upgrade to its capabilities. The new voice assistant announced Wednesday that it has advanced contextual understanding, improves smart home control and tailors a highly personalized experience for individual users’ behavior. Additionally, Alexa+ has proxy capabilities that enable it to complete tasks on the Internet without direct user supervision.

Smarter, more conversational Alexa

Panos Panay, senior vice president of equipment and services at Amazon, shared the news in a news editor post. Panay said the AI-powered assistant is designed to be “more conversational, smarter and personalized.”

Alexa+ will act as a standalone service, but will also be included with Amazon Prime for no additional cost. For those without a major membership, the service may be $19.99 per month (about £15.70).

Enhanced AI capabilities

Unlike its predecessor, Alexa+ uses a model-not-compliant Snostic system. While its core framework is built on Amazon’s Nova models, it can also integrate third-party AI models, including anthropomorphic models through Amazon Bedrock. This enhancement enables the assistant to select the most appropriate AI model for a given task, thereby increasing efficiency and responsiveness.

AI-powered assistants can now accomplish a variety of complex tasks such as booking, setting up appointments, and managing smart home devices for improved precision. Additionally, even if users only provide vague descriptions, it can find and play music from services including Amazon Music, Spotify and Apple Music.

Automatic online task execution

One of the great features of Alexa+ is its ability to perform tasks independently on the Internet. For example, if a user needs to repair the oven, they can simply ask Alexa+, which will search online, identify the right service provider, verify credentials, schedule an appointment and pass on details to the user without further intervention.

Larger personalization and smart home integration

Alexa+’s personalization has been greatly improved. Voice assistants can access user interactions on Amazon services, identifying preferred shipping addresses, payment details, and frequently viewed content. Users can also instruct Alexa+ to remember specific details such as important dates and dietary preferences.

In addition, the upgraded assistant enhances smart home management. When delivering a package, it can proactively remind users to detect when someone visits their home and execute planned commands with higher accuracy.

Amazon has also launched a new Android and iOS app, as well as a dedicated website for Alexa+. These additions will enable users to continue to talk across multiple platforms on smart speakers, smartphones, or web browsers.

Gradually launched and usability

Amazon will begin launching Alexa+ in the next few weeks, initially available in the U.S. through an early access program. The first devices supporting AI-driven assistants include the Echo Show 8, 10, 15 and 21, and are planned to provide wider availability for other devices in the near future.