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Amazon has unveiled a significant upgrade to its Alexa voice assistant, integrating generative artificial intelligence to enhance its capabilities and make interactions feel more human-like.

The new version, called Alexa Plus, was introduced at a launch event in New York on Wednesday, where it demonstrated advanced features beyond simple voice commands.

“I’m not just an assistant. I’m your new best friend in the digital world,” Alexa Plus announced to attendees, signalling Amazon’s ambitions to make the AI assistant a more integral part of users’ daily lives.

This development comes despite intense competition in the AI space, with Microsoft rolling out an audio version of its Copilot assistant, Google launching its Gemini AI, and Apple working to integrate generative AI into Siri.

While Alexa and Siri remain market leaders, both have faced criticism for their limited ability to provide intuitive interactions.

Amazon is banking on this upgrade to strengthen Alexa’s position in the rapidly evolving AI market.

Amazon Unveils AI-Powered Alexa Plus with Advanced Capabilities

Despite uncertainties surrounding AI’s profitability, major tech firms, including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Meta, OpenAI, and Elon Musk’s xAI, continue to pour billions into AI research and development.

Amazon, in particular, has an advantage with over 600 million Alexa-enabled devices already in use worldwide, providing a strong foundation for its AI expansion.

Currently, Alexa is primarily used for simple tasks such as playing music, providing weather updates, or controlling smart home devices.

However, Alexa Plus promises a more advanced experience, acting as a virtual agent capable of performing complex tasks on command.

During the demonstration, Alexa Plus showcased its ability to book concert tickets, send text messages, plan trips, update shared calendars, and even analyse security camera footage to determine if a pet had been walked.

The assistant also demonstrated its creative side, generating personalised bedtime stories for children and composing a song about a cat using Suno, a music generation tool currently embroiled in legal disputes with major record labels.

Beyond voice commands, Alexa Plus will also be accessible via Alexa.com and a dedicated mobile app, allowing users to upload documents and receive feedback similar to ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini.

The upgraded service will be available in the United States from April, with a monthly subscription fee of $19.99.

However, Amazon Prime subscribers will receive free access to Alexa Plus, making it an attractive addition to the company’s suite of premium services.