Link: Amazon announces AI-powered Alexa Plus

Amazon is launching Alexa Plus, a generative AI-enhanced version of Alexa, designed to streamline interactions with smart home devices and provide instant information. This new service is priced at $19.99 per month, though it's free for Amazon Prime members.

Alexa Plus can remember personal preferences like your favorite movies and your diet, improving its assistance capabilities. It can also perform tasks such as ordering groceries or sending event invites.

The upgraded Alexa works on most existing Alexa devices, starting with models like the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 21. It supports advanced interactions such as carrying on conversations from just the wake word "Alexa."

Alexa Plus will incorporate new features allowing it to handle more complex requests, such as making restaurant reservations and reading study guides. Additionally, it can now interact visually with users on compatible Echo devices, enhancing user experience.

Amazon has included partnerships with other companies to leverage a wider range of data and enhance Alexa's functionality. It uses multiple models to choose the best response to user queries, drawing from partners like Reuters and The Washington Post.

A significant upgrade to Alexa's capabilities positions it against other AI digital assistants, like Google's Gemini and an upgraded Siri, but with a unique advantage in the smart speaker market. This marks a major step in adapting AI into everyday technology, making sophisticated digital assistance more accessible.

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