Amazon Ready To Launch Alexa's New Version With Generative Artificial Intelligence

JAKARTA Amazon is preparing to hold a major event on Wednesday 26 February to introduce Alexa's new ability to bring the voice assistant to the era of generative artificial intelligence. The move marks a major evolution of more than a decade after Alexa sparked a wave of investment in voice assistant technology.

Although Amazon has not disclosed many details, the company confirmed that the event, which was held in New York, focuses on Alexa. According to sources familiar with this plan, Amazon will introduce a secret project called "Banyan," which aims to make Alexa smarter and more interactive in conversations.

Amazon has invested billions of dollars in Alexa's development since its launch in 2014, with the hope that the technology can be embedded in multiple devices and ultimately increase sales on major company e-commerce sites.

Currently, Alexa is available on devices such as smart speakers and can answer user questions, play music, set reminders, and control smart home devices. However, in its latest version, Alexa will be able to respond to multiple commands in sequence and even act as an "agent" that can take action for users without having to always receive direct instructions.

This is a huge improvement of the classical Alexa, which has been able to handle only one request at a time.

Amazon is reportedly considering charging subscription fees of up to $10 per month for this new service to close large investments that have been invested in the losing business so far.

However, in the early stages, Amazon will still offer "Classic Alexa" for free, as users currently use. Meanwhile, the new AI service will be released on a limited basis in the coming weeks and months.

Amazon says there are about 500 million devices compatible with Alexa in the hands of consumers today. With such a large number, this big change has the potential to be a very profitable business opportunity for Amazon, but at the same time pose a financial risk if the service does not meet user expectations.

The launch event will take place in the Tribeca area of New York, today, where Amazon executives will reveal more information about Alexa's future in the generative AI era.