Alexa+, Amazon’s enhanced version of its Alexa assistant powered by generative AI, is now accessible to all customers in the United States as of Wednesday. The company has announced that Prime members will enjoy complimentary access to this AI feature across various devices. Additionally, anyone can utilize Alexa+ for free through the Alexa website or mobile application, albeit with certain limitations.
“We currently have tens of millions of customers using Alexa+, and we are excited to extend this access to all Prime members… Prime members will benefit from unrestricted access — essentially providing a premium tier of service now included with their membership,” stated Daniel Rausch, Vice President of Alexa and Echo at Amazon, in a conversation with TechCrunch.
Introduced last year, Alexa+ is model-agnostic, leveraging a blend of Amazon’s proprietary foundational models and those of third parties. This flexibility allows the assistant to perform more advanced tasks compared to its predecessor by selecting the most suitable AI technology for each task.
As a sophisticated AI assistant, Alexa+ is capable of engaging in natural language conversations that include follow-up questions and interactive dialogue.
In addition to executing tasks like managing smart home devices, setting timers, and providing news and weather updates, the new assistant can perform a wide range of functions typical of other AI chatbots. This includes planning travel itineraries, updating shared calendars, discovering and saving recipes, recommending movies, assisting with academic tasks, exploring various topics, and much more.
Furthermore, integrations with platforms such as Ticketmaster, Thumbtack, Uber, Angi, Expedia, Square, Yelp, Fodor’s, OpenTable, and Suno will empower Alexa to handle more complex tasks, such as scheduling dinner reservations or arranging Uber rides. However, Amazon has yet to release user adoption metrics concerning these more autonomous functionalities of the AI assistant.
Throughout its year-long beta testing phase, Alexa users were given the option to experience the new AI feature or revert back to the previous version. According to TechCrunch, the option to return to the legacy Alexa will remain available, though the duration of this choice is unspecified. It is likely that Amazon aims to refine the AI experience further before standardizing the new version for all users. Notably, the percentage of users opting out has been reported in low single digits, indicating that the majority of customers are satisfied with Alexa+.
However, Amazon has been actively addressing bugs and user feedback in anticipation of this launch. Some beta testers voiced concerns that Alexa+ was overly conversational and occasionally interrupted at inappropriate moments, while others expressed dissatisfaction with Alexa’s new vocal qualities.
In response, Amazon has integrated user feedback and continually made enhancements. For example, the onboarding process has been refined to guide users on how to modify Alexa’s voice, as some preferred the original version. (The classic voice is still retained as the second option for Alexa+, now enhanced with AI-generated inflection.)
“Ultimately, we had her demonstrate her updated version of the original voice, followed by a switch back, for user education,” Rausch describes adjustments made during onboarding.
Additionally, Amazon has aimed to reduce unsolicited interruptions by programming Alexa to inquire, “Is that for me?” when the AI is uncertain about the addressee.
Rausch emphasizes that users can customize their overall experience. For example, should customers prefer to disable the follow-on mode, which allows Alexa to continue listening after responding, they have that option available.
When queried about whether users will have the ability to adjust the AI assistant’s persona, similar to other AI chatbots that can embody varying traits such as personal, professional, or quirky, Rausch simply responded, “Stay tuned.”
During the beta phase, Amazon observed positive trends in adoption, both in terms of usage and engagement, with minimal customers opting to revert to the previous version. Music streaming saw a 25% uptick following the upgrade to Alexa+, and engagement with recipes has grown fivefold.
In general, customers are interacting with Alexa+ two to three times more frequently compared to the original version.
While Alexa+ will be available for free to U.S. Prime members, non-Prime users can choose to subscribe for $19.99 a month for standalone access, which aligns with the pricing of services such as ChatGPT Plus.
Amazon has indicated that the free experience available on web and mobile will feature certain limitations, primarily designed to prevent misuse.
“We believe we’ve established generous limits. While we’re not ready to disclose specific details today, there will be some restrictions,” Rausch states.
The Alexa+ experience in the U.S. will be accessible across a variety of Alexa devices, including Echo products, Fire TV, Alexa.com, the Alexa mobile application, and Alexa-compatible devices from partners like Samsung, Bose, and others, with more collaborations on the horizon.
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