Amazon’s Alexa is finally receiving its long-promised AI upgrade with Alexa+, and the online retail giant is making ambitious promises by integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) into nearly all of its user-facing products. The question remains whether Amazon will deliver the first genuinely effective AI assistant, a promise that numerous companies have been making for the past two years. However, this hinges on users’ willingness to fully immerse themselves in Amazon’s hardware and software ecosystem.

On Wednesday, Amazon showcased a multitude of promised features for Alexa+. The chatbot is designed to engage with users beyond mere conversation or providing recommendations. It will interact with smart home devices to effortlessly set routines or review footage from outdoor cameras. Amazon’s AI boasts image recognition capabilities, enabling it to understand events captured by Ring cameras, comprehend emails, or even analyze recipes. Furthermore, it can work seamlessly with Prime Video and cast content to Fire TV, potentially making Amazon-owned content, like James Bond, more accessible across various screens.

Alexa+ is slated for release to select users next month, with a staggered rollout for all users thereafter. Existing Amazon Prime members will gain access, while others will need to subscribe for $20 per month. Initially, the AI will operate on Echo Show devices, including the newer Show 15 and 21 models, before expanding to support Amazon Fire TVs and eventually third-party devices running Amazon’s OS. Given the plethora of new features, let’s delve into the specifics.

Alexa+ Will Feature Both a Website and App

In the coming weeks, a revamped Alexa.com will host Amazon’s AI-powered assistant, working in tandem with a redesigned Alexa app that will replace the current application. Although Amazon did not unveil much of the UI for the website or app, the company demonstrated some features, such as controlling food ordering capabilities similar to how it functions on Echo devices. The app and website are expected to roll out alongside the broader, staggered release of Alexa+.

Amazon’s AI Aims to Remember All Your Documents, If You Choose to Share Them

Alexa users will be able to upload documents, emails, screenshots, or handwritten notes to Amazon’s AI, allowing it to “remember” dates, people, or important details. This feature, similar to those in Google’s Gemini, enables users to ask the AI to specifically “remember” events for later recall. Sharing these documents to the Alexa app when the update arrives will be the easiest way to grant the AI access. Amazon noted that users can share emails associated with their Amazon account and also connect separate accounts through the app.

Amazon’s AI Connects to a Vast Number of Apps

Alexa+ is designed to work not just with Amazon products but with “tens of thousands” of apps and services. News organizations like the Associated Press and Reuters are among these, although the actual number of connected apps is fewer. Included are apps like Uber, OpenTable, Thumbtack, Vizio, Tidal, Xbox, and many more. While the exact connections each app may offer are unclear, Amazon demonstrated how it could book an Uber trip and set a calendar appointment through Thumbtack using the same UI.

Amazon Aims to Revolutionize How You Order Food Online

For those looking to make a pizza at home, Amazon’s Alexa+ can assist in finding ingredients. By asking Alexa+ for ingredients, users are taken to a separate menu, and as they discuss their preferences, Alexa forms a list of possible ingredients. Amazon indicated that this defaults to users’ usual preferences based on their Amazon account but allows modifications by voice or selection. The AI demonstrated surprising capability in discerning the desire for a higher-end olive oil or making pizza dough from scratch rather than using pre-made dough.

Easily Route Your Audio to Specific Speakers Around the Home

In a demo, Amazon’s VP of devices and services, Panos Panay, showed how users can ask Alexa+ to play audio through specific speakers set up around the room. This was demonstrated with two sections of Echo Speakers and is supposed to work with any range of smart home speakers.

Alexa+ Can Set Smart Home Routines and Timers With Your Voice

For those who have set up their homes with various smart displays, smart lights, and interconnected devices, Alexa+ promises to make setting routines significantly easier. In a demo, Amazon showed how one could set a timer to adjust lighting at a certain time of day or set mood lighting for specific scenarios. The AI is designed to comprehend what users want, even if they don’t know the exact names of different lighting fixtures around the home, potentially making it easier for those who didn’t set up these devices to change their routines.

The New Alexa AI Will Understand What’s Happening in Front of Your Cameras

The Amazon Nova group of AI foundation models includes substantial image and video vision capabilities. This works particularly well with Amazon-owned Ring products, as the AI can comprehend events in real-time and review recorded video to answer questions like whether a package arrived or if a household member walked the dog. These imaging capabilities will also work with built-in cameras on Echo Show products or any interconnected camera setup, though the AI may not be able to review footage on third-party devices, according to company representatives.

Alexa Can Help You Guess What Movie You’re Thinking Of

For those who struggle to recall movie titles, Amazon’s new AI might offer some assistance. Alexa+ can help figure out what movie scene you’re thinking of. For example, asking about the movie with “sparkling vampires” should bring up one of the Twilight movies. While Alexa+ will initially be available on Echo devices, these devices can still cast music or video content to a Fire TV without needing a remote. Initially, Alexa+ won’t have Shazam-like capabilities to identify music based on what you’re listening to, but the company is considering this for a future update.

There’s a Child-Friendly Version of Alexa+

Subscribers to Amazon Kids+ will get new features with “Stories by Alexa” and “Explore with Alexa,” essentially adding a chatbot to the company’s existing storytelling interface. This means Echo devices can offer AI-generated bedtime stories, complete with accompanying AI-generated art, if desired. Alternatively, the AI should be able to answer questions to satisfy children’s curiosity, although the accuracy and reliability of such chatbots have been questionable in the past.