Amazon won’t launch the AI-powered upgrade for Alexa for at least a month after its showcase at an event set for February 26th, according to The Washington Post. The delay is reportedly at least partly because the updated assistant has issues with giving inaccurate answers to test questions.
An anonymous Amazon employee told the outlet that the upgrade won’t come “until March 31 or later” due to the issues. The new Alexa could be tied to a subscription, with features like “the ability to adopt a personality, recall conversations, order takeout or call a taxi,” and was originally set to launch later this month as a free trial, the Post writes, citing internal documents and messages.
News of the delay comes after months of rumors suggesting Amazon is struggling to realize its plans to “supercharge” Alexa generative AI, which it said in 2023 would take place over a period of months, but still hasn’t. It was reportedly delayed from a late 2024 launch amid beta tester reports of slow, stiff, and less-than-useful responses. Amazon did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
Apple is also rumored to be having issues with its own Siri AI upgrade, which has been expected to come soon in iOS 18.4, but may see its capabilities limited or delayed entirely to iOS 18.5, coming as early as May, Bloomberg reported yesterday. Meanwhile, Google’s Gemini-fueled digital assistant continues to enjoy a substantial lead in the race to beef up older smartphone assistants with generative AI.
