Amazon has announced Alexa+, a new version of its virtual assistant powered by generative artificial intelligence. The company says Alexa+ is designed to be more conversational, smarter, and personalized than previous versions. It will help users with tasks such as entertainment, learning, organization, summarizing complex topics, and online shopping.
“Alexa+ is more conversational, smarter, personalized—and she helps you get things done. She keeps you entertained, helps you learn, keeps you organized, summarizes complex topics, and can converse about virtually anything. Alexa+ can manage and protect your home, make reservations, and help you track, discover, and enjoy new artists. She can also help you search, find or buy virtually any item online, and make useful suggestions based on your interests. Alexa+ does all this and more—all you have to do is ask,” the company stated.
According to Amazon’s announcement: “Conversations with Alexa+ feel expansive and natural. Whether you’re speaking in half-formed thoughts, using colloquial expressions, or exploring complex ideas, Alexa+ understands what you mean, and responds like a trusted assistant.”
The updated assistant uses large language models (LLMs) hosted on Amazon Bedrock as its foundation. Amazon claims that Alexa+ can orchestrate across tens of thousands of services and devices at scale through a system it calls “experts,” which are groups of systems or APIs designed for specific tasks.
With these capabilities integrated into various devices—including Echo smart speakers—users can control smart home products from companies like Philips Hue or Roborock; make reservations with OpenTable; play music from multiple streaming providers; order groceries from Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods Market; receive alerts via Ring cameras; among other functions.
The release notes that agentic features allow Alexa+ to complete multi-step tasks independently online. For example: “Let’s say you need to get your oven fixed—Alexa+ will be able to navigate the web… arrange the repair… there’s no need to supervise or intervene.”
Personalization is emphasized in the new version: “She knows what you’ve bought… but you can also ask her to remember things that will make the experience more useful for you.” Users may provide information such as family recipes or dietary preferences for tailored recommendations.
Alexa+ will be available not only on Echo devices but also through a mobile app (for iOS and Android) and via browser at Alexa.com. Conversations can continue seamlessly across different devices due to context awareness.
Amazon states privacy remains central in the design: “We built Alexa+ the same way we do any Amazon product—we set out to create something we think customers will love while also designing it to protect their privacy and security…”
The service costs $19.99 per month but is included free for Amazon Prime members as part of their subscription benefits package.
Recent device launches include new Echo models optimized for Alexa+, an updated Kindle Scribe lineup featuring color screens for the first time ever,a refreshed Fire TV lineup, and Ring’s first 4K cameras equipped with AI features.
