AMAZON has revealed a new and ultra-smart version of Alexa, its virtual voice-controlled assistant – but you’ll need to pay to use it.
The new AI helper called Alexa+ – which will be available on millions of gadgets – was hailed as “remarkable” by Amazon chief Andy Jassy.
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This “next generation Alexa” that talks like a human was unveiled a special AI event hosted by Amazon in New York.
Amazon’s Panos Panay said that the new Alexa “knows almost every instrument in your life” – like the conductor of an orchestra.
That included smart home gadgets, mobile devices, the people you’re connected to, and the apps you’re using – all in a bid to help you get stuff done.
And it’ll cost you a hefty $19.99 a month (UK price pending), although it’s totally free if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber.
Amazon showed off how Alexa+ would be able to book restaurants for you, create recipes and set timers automatically, and control all of the gadgets in your home at once based on your mood.
“The rearchitecture of all of Alexa has happened, and I’m pumped about it,” said Amazon’s Panos Panay.
Panay described the old Alexa as “frustrating”, saying it would sometimes mishear you or be unable to help.
“While the vision for Alexa has been ambitious and remains incredibly compelling, until right this moment, we have been limited by the technology.
“Every once in a while, a technology comes around and it changes literally everything.”
Amazon says that Alexa is smarter than ever before, and will let you have humanlike conversations with the helper.
It can find a gift, order it, gift-wrap it, and ship it to your home with minimal input.
The new Alexa will remember your favourite food, movies, and interests.
And it’ll get smarter the more you use it, according to Amazon.
For instance, if a member of family hates a food – like mushrooms – and you ask about cooking a meal for everyone at home, Alexa will know to avoid that ingredient.
The new Alexa+ voice is more expressive – and will pick up on emotional cues based on what you’re talking about.
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Alexa+ is also better at understanding how you talk like a human too – so you can stumble over your words or change your mind mid-sentence without it being a big problem.
If you’re using the Alexa app, there’s a smart home widget that lets you manage all of the gadgets in your home.
And you can create routines so that your home manages itself – like turning all of the lights off at a specific time, and then playing some music too.
Amazon showed off a demo where Panay described where he’d heard a song, and Alexa was able to work out what he meant – and then play it.
Another demo showed Panay asking Alexa if anyone had “taken out Aries” today.
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HOW DOES ALEXA+ WORK WITH RING?
Here’s the official word from Amazon…
“With your Ring subscription,Alexa+ can provide a summary of detected camera events,” Amazon explained.
“And show you the relevant Ring footage across compatible Echo Show devices.
“So, if you had a package delivered or you had a dog walker stop by, Alexa+ can show you the highlights from the day.
“The experience will also integrate with Ring’s new Smart Video Search, allowing you to more easily find specific moments you care about.
“For example, you can ask Alexa+ specific questions like ‘Did someone take out the garbage bins?’ or ‘When was the last time the dog went out for a walk?'”
Picture Credit: Amazon
The idea is that Alexa knows to check footage from your Ring camera, check for the dog – which it has learned is called Aries – and see if it had been walked.
Amazon’s director of Alexa Mara Segal then showed how Alexa+ could save you time by analysing info.
For instance, it scanned a dense housing document to see if she was able to add solar panels to her house.
And then asked Alexa+ to scan “grandma’s zucchini bread recipe” to see how much oil she’d need to buy.
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After that, Alexa+ was able to pull out specific events from the upcoming South by Southwest show that Mara might find useful.
Segal said it “saved several hours” of work during the live demo, which lasted around five minutes.
Amazon said that the new Alexa+ will be available widely, on almost any device that you own.
“You can also use Alexa+ anywhere you want, from your favorite Echo devices and the Alexa mobile app to an all-new web browser experience,” Amazon said.
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“Alexa+ will remember the context of your conversations so that you can seamlessly pick up where you left off as you go about your day.”
Alexa+ will be able to link to lots of other services, including Uber, Grubhub, OpenTable, and TripAdvisor – so you can easily order taxis or book restaurants through the helper.
ALEXA, LET’S GO BACK IN TIME
Amazon’s Alexa dates back more than a decade.
The handy assistant was originally based on a Polish speech-synthesizing system called Ivona, which Amazon scooped up in 2013.
AI-NY GOOD? THE EXPERT VIEW
Here’s what tech industry expert Paolo Pescatore, of PP Foresight, had to say minutes after the event…
“Taking AI to the masses,” Paolo explained.
“There’s a lot riding on this revamp service given the lengthy delays and to justify the huge investments poured into AI and everything else.
“Ultimately consumers have not shown a greater willingness to use features beyond basic requests.
“We are now starting to see meaningful developments in the world of AI that promise to offer users a personalised experience.
“The biggest question is whether users are ready, given their early experiences and concerns around security and trust.
“These factors still remain huge barriers to wider adoption.
“If executed well, should resonate with customers rather than getting users to fork out for another additional monthly fee.
“All of these latest moves reinforce the importance of Prime and providing users with a one stop shop for nearly everything.
“A big moment for the new devices and services chief Panos Panay.”
Picture Credit: Sean Keach / The Sun
This early tech was inspired by AI system HAL from the sci-fi flick 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Amazon announced Alexa properly on November 6, 2014 alongside the original Echo speaker, which powered by the AI.
Alexa has since appeared on multiple Echo speakers, as well as Fire TV devices, and on iPhones and Android phones via an app.
But old Alexa has been facing stiff competition from increasingly clever virtual helpers.
That includes OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google Gemini, both of which offer powerful AI-powered voice chatting.
Amazon says that its new Alexa+ will roll out next month in “early access” – and then arrive in waves for other users over “subsequent months”.
