Amazon is reportedly planning to launch a subscription version of its popular voice assistant, Alexa, as early as June 2024, with the aim of generating more revenue from its virtual assistant.
According to a report from Business Insider, citing internal documents and anonymous sources, Amazon is working on a new version of Alexa that uses generative AI, a technology that can create natural, conversational responses, rather than scripted responses.
The new version of Alexa, internally called “Remarkable Alexa”, will be available for a monthly subscription and will be marketed under the name “Alexa Plus”. The subscription will offer users more features and capabilities, such as understanding complex commands, handling multiple requests, and providing more accurate and relevant responses.
Alexa’s future is still uncertain
The report also reveals that The project is facing several challenges and delays, due to technical difficulties, quality issues and internal policies. The new version of Alexa still doesn’t meet the expected standards for Alexa Plus, and some Amazon employees are questioning the viability and demand of charging Alexa. However, ” If it doesn’t generate revenue, Alexa is in trouble », Already assures an anonymous employee.
The report also suggests that some users might not want to pay for Alexa, especially if they already pay for other Amazon services, such as Amazon Music. This report comes at a time when Amazon is facing increasing competition and pressure in the voice assistant market, as well as in the broader field of AI.
Alexa has struggled to generate revenue because most users use it for basic queries, rather than transactions. In late 2022, Business Insider reported thatAlexa was on track to cause Amazon to lose $10 billion that year.
This report also follows a series of layoffs at Amazon, which affected the devices and services division, as well as the AI team. In November 2023, Business Insider reported that Amazon had laid off some of its AI researchers, citing an email that said, “We are not making the progress we need to make in AI.” It therefore now remains to be seen whether or not Alexa Plus will see the light of day in 2024.