Amazon Debuts Alexa+

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Amazon recently held an invitation-only press event in New York to introduce Alexa+, a significant revamp of its voice assistant technology. Unlike competitors Apple, Google, and Microsoft, Amazon opted not to livestream the announcement, potentially allowing more control over messaging and a more relaxed presentation environment.

The announcement's importance was underscored by CEO Andy Jassy's personal appearance to kick off the event. Emily Forlini, who attended the event for PCMag, noted, "It was clearly very important to Amazon. The CEO, Andy Jassy, was there... I mean, I don't think he comes just to any old reveal."

What Makes Alexa+ Different

Amazon is positioning Alexa+ as a solution to the common frustrations many users have experienced with voice assistants. The company even acknowledged these problems during the presentation, referring to the stilted command structure as "Alexa-speak" - the unnatural way users have had to phrase requests to be understood.

Demonstrations during the unveiling showed Alexa+ handling conversational language, including slang and context from previous exchanges. In one example, a presenter asked about concert tickets, then followed up by saying they were "a little steep" - language that would confuse most current voice assistants but which Alexa+ understood to mean "too expensive."

Smart Home Integration

One of the most compelling demonstrations showed how Alexa+ leverages Amazon's ecosystem of smart home devices. Using connected cameras and sensors, the assistant could answer questions like "Did anyone let the dog out today?" by checking footage from Ring cameras.

This integration extends across Amazon's portfolio of acquired companies, including Ring, Eero, and Blink, creating a more cohesive smart home experience that rivals what Apple has achieved with its ecosystem.

The Technology Behind Alexa+

Unlike competitors who promote their own specific AI models, Amazon is taking a different approach. Alexa+ accesses what the company describes as "the largest selection of models" available and automatically selects the most appropriate one for each task.

"When you ask the new Alexa a question or ask it to do something, it will on its own figure out the right model for the job," Forlini explained. This approach differs from OpenAI's ChatGPT or Anthropic's Claude, where users often need to select which model to use.

Pricing Strategy and Availability

Alexa+ will be included free with Amazon Prime membership ($139/year), but will also be available as a standalone subscription for $19.99 per month ($240/year). This pricing structure has raised some questions, as the standalone service costs more than a full Prime membership.

"My theory is either they're going to use this as an excuse to raise Prime... or I think, more likely, they'll use Prime as a kind of watered-down version of this," Forlini speculated. "They'll really start developing it more seriously and in earnest on that $19.99 platform."

The service will debut first on Echo Show devices with screens, with rollout to other compatible Echo devices coming later. Amazon also revealed plans for Alexa.com to become a dedicated web interface for the service, suggesting a strategy to compete more directly with ChatGPT and other chatbot services.

Can Amazon Overcome Voice Assistant Skepticism?

Despite the impressive demonstrations, Amazon faces significant challenges in winning back users who have been disappointed by voice assistants in the past.

"We've all been so burned by this technology. It's like probably one of the least successful pieces of tech," Forlini noted. "I hate voice assistants... they're awful. And so then Amazon comes in this big event with their CEO in New York... but it's like, wait, this technology has been terrible so far. Like, how are you going to convince me? I don't know, it's a huge stretch."

Whether Amazon's AI-powered revamp can overcome this skepticism remains to be seen, but with Alexa+ expected to roll out to compatible devices in the coming weeks, users won't have to wait long to find out if the upgrade delivers on its promises.