Summary
- Amazon is hosting an Alexa-focused event on February 26.
- AI upgrades should make Alexa more conversational and personalized.
- Reports suggest Amazon will use Anthropic’s AI to enhance Alexa’s abilities.
Over the last year or so, Google and Apple have given their voice assistants AI-powered upgrades to make them smarter and more powerful. Gemini has nearly replaced Google Assistant on Android, while Siri has received a slight intelligence boost thanks to AI. Meanwhile, Amazon has largely stayed out of the AI race, with Alexa seeing little to no significant upgrades. This will finally change, as Amazon has scheduled an Alexa-focused event for February 26.
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The e-commerce giant only sent out press invites announcing an event later this month. An Amazon spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that Alexa would be the show’s star, signaling the arrival of its long overdue AI upgrade.
If Gemini and ChatGPT Voice are any indication, the new AI-powered Alexa should be much more conversational. It should also excel at understanding natural language and context while seamlessly processing multiple commands at once. Reportedly, the new Alexa will also be able to act as an “agent” and take action on your behalf.
According to the report, insiders at Amazon reveal that the company will rely on Anthropic’s AI engine to some extent to power the new Alexa experience. Reports of Amazon using Anthropic’s Claude AI engine to supercharge Alexa first popped up in October 2024. It will seemingly be good at remembering user preferences, allowing the assistant to make personalized recommendations.
The new AI-powered Alexa will initially roll out to a limited set of users for free. It will run on existing Amazon devices with access to Alexa and will not require any hardware upgrades.
The smarter Alexa experience may not come for free
As previously reported, Amazon is considering introducing a monthly subscription fee of $5 to $10 for its AI-powered voice assistant in the future. Reportedly, the company plans to retain “Classic Alexa” as a free alternative for users who prefer not to pay. However, the older version will likely no longer receive feature updates.
Amazon’s plans are still subject to change, as the company will hold a “Go/No-go” meeting on February 14 to decide about the launch of the AI-powered Alexa, depending on its “street readiness.”
