Are you prepared to subscribe to Amazon Alexa? With the recent introduction of artificial intelligence features, Amazon appears to be betting on your willingness to do so. During a private gathering with media and industry associates, Amazon unveiled its enhanced digital assistant, Alexa+, which comes with an added fee of $20 per month. However, Prime members will be able to enjoy this new upgrade at no additional cost.

Enhanced Conversational Experience

Alexa+ maintains the voice-command functionality of the standard Alexa, yet it promises a more conversational and tailored interaction. The updated assistant is expected to execute tasks and seamlessly connect with partner applications like Hulu, Uber, and Xbox. Furthermore, Alexa+ brings new capabilities to Amazon’s own offerings, such as Prime Video and Ring, while simplifying the integration of smart home devices. Although Amazon’s presentation didn’t cover every potential use of the assistant—due to the extensive possibilities—a few notable features stand out:

Improved Communication

With Alexa+, you can ask more intricate questions and engage in ongoing conversations without needing to restate earlier details or prompts. For example, after telling Alexa about a family member’s vegetarian preference, any recipe suggestions it provides will automatically consider that information throughout the conversation.

Multimodal Functionality

Incorporating multimodal inputs, Alexa+ can process images and sift through uploaded documents to generate summaries.

Voice-Activated Routines

Setting up new smart home automations will require nothing more than your voice. Simply instruct Alexa to remember to turn off the lights when you close the garage door, and it will retain that instruction going forward.

Instant Access to Prime Video

Alexa+ can navigate to specific scenes in Prime Video content using various cues, such as descriptions or actor names. For instance, you could say, “What’s that movie where Bradley Cooper sings a duet? Jump to that scene…” and it will immediately locate and play that segment.

AI-Driven Ring Features

Subscribers to Ring services can ask Alexa+ for summaries of saved videos and highlights, along with utilizing “Smart Video Search” to find specific moments simply by describing them, like asking, “When did I last take out the trash?”

Beyond Conventional AI

While these enhancements certainly elevate Alexa’s capabilities (if the execution aligns with expectations), they are not entirely revolutionary compared to existing AI solutions. What sets Alexa apart is its ability to perform tasks. The assistant can handle grocery orders, find event tickets, make reservations, and book Ubers—thanks to various partnerships that have been forged. Amazon claims that there are numerous collaborations, including with established news outlets like Time and The Washington Post, to enhance the accuracy of answers. Notably, although the system is hands-free, Alexa will seek confirmation before completing any transactions or bookings.

Child-Friendly Integration

Furthermore, Alexa+ will collaborate with Amazon Kids+ to provide interactive conversations with children through facts, games, and stories. Amazon has promised additional safety measures for younger users, although details are still sparse.

Transparency and Privacy

Amazon emphasizes transparency regarding Alexa+, with a dedicated privacy dashboard available for users. The company has been forthcoming about the technology that powers Alexa+, which combines proprietary models with those from Anthropic. However, it will take some time before the public can access this enhanced assistant, with early access planned for next month.

Device Compatibility

Interestingly, there are no new hardware announcements related to Alexa+. The enhanced features will be compatible with “almost every” existing Echo device. Initial access will prioritize the Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21. Additionally, a web and mobile app version of Alexa+ is on the horizon, although specifics on timing remain unclear.