Alexa" becomes "Alexa+". That's 20 dollars a month, please!
The new version of Alexa is set to become nothing less than your "new best friend in the digital world". Amazon has now presented the new AI version of the voice assistant as such.
Rumours have been circulating for a good six months: Alexa, which has basically remained at the same (poor) level since 2014, is set to get better. With AI, it is to become a helper that can do such great things that you pay for it. Or as it says in the official media release:
Alexa+ is more conversational, smarter, personalised - and she helps you get things done. She keeps you entertained, helps you learn, keeps you organised, summarizes complex topics, and can converse about virtually anything.
Amazon showed examples of this to a few hundred journalists in New York. Alexa is supposed to remember past conversations and be able to access information from them. If she has access to your calendar, your emails or surveillance camera footage, she should be able to answer complex questions. An example can be seen in the promotional video: The father of a family asks Alexa if anyone has been out with the dog today. Alexa then apparently searches through the videos and can confirm that the son has taken him for a walk.
Open interfaces, many partners
Amazon allows other companies to access the Alexa API. This makes it possible to send a robot hoover or switch on the Hue lighting by voice command, as is already the case. Whether such use cases can be made even smarter with Alexa+?
It will be more interesting to see how well the 50 applications that Amazon is recommending to try out at the launch of Alexa+ work. I find it exciting that routines can be programmed by voice command in future. The new Alexa is also supposed to act as a kind of second brain by memorising things that I forget too often. What was my membership number for the frequent flyer programme again? Which of my colleagues was the one with the nut allergy? The flyer for the school theatre performance is there - just take a photo with your smartphone and Alexa creates an appointment in the calendar.
The power of data
The examples show that the new Alexa also needs one thing above all: lots and lots of your data. The more information you provide, the more useful it is. Be it your photos, your emails or your Google Maps location history. Language profiles are needed to recognise different people in the household. Preferences for TV series, podcasts, music - Amazon wants to know all of this from you.
This is by no means a topic that only affects Amazon. AI applications from other companies will also have to deal with the question of how they handle their users' information. And how they can get them to share as much of it as possible with them.
Launch in the USA in March
The new Alexa will be available from March, but initially only in the USA. In a Bloomberg interview, Amazon manager Panos Panay explains that other countries will follow "shortly afterwards". However, he points out that there are certain languages that are more demanding and could therefore come later. Swiss German is therefore unlikely to be available in the first wave.
No new hardware for the time being
It was surprising that Amazon did not present any new hardware products. Alexa+ should work on existing ECHO devices and therefore be able to process and retrieve information quickly enough via the cloud. Pure Echo speakers without a screen are left out. Which makes sense, because when I book a ticket, I want to know where my booked seat is. Intelligent to-do or shopping lists are also quicker to understand visually. According to Amazon, Alexa+ runs on all ECHO Show 8, 10, 15 and 21.
The price ...
.. is quite something. Alexa+ costs 19.99 US dollars per month. Prices for other countries are not yet available. At just under 240 US dollars per year, it may be more attractive for many people to opt for the Amazon Prime membership. This costs "only" 139 US dollars, and the use of the new Alexa is already included at no extra charge.
Amazon has not introduced any groundbreaking new features. All applications are already possible today with AI tools from other suppliers. The decisive factor is likely to be how easy, accessible and natural it feels to use the new Alexa as a helpful friend. With 600 million Alexa-enabled devices in the world, this would probably be the AI breakthrough in everyday life.
Header image: Amazon
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Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
