NEW YORK – Amazon has introduced a range of new gadgets and an updated version of its popular voice assistant, Alexa. The company aims to enhance Alexa’s capabilities with more generative AI features, allowing it to better compete with other tech companies that have recently launched advanced chatbots.
During a demonstration at Amazon’s second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, Dave Limp, the company’s devices chief, showcased the latest language model. This update will enable consumers to engage in more human-like conversations with a “smarter and more conversational” Alexa.
The demonstration included various interactions through pre-recorded videos and live demos. Alexa showcased its ability to write a poem, provide ideas for a date night, and give a breakdown of a football game. Limp also demonstrated a feature where the voice assistant can compose a text message, although there were some awkward pauses during his interaction with Alexa, requiring him to repeat prompts before receiving an answer.
Amazon is also working on a “speech-to-speech” model, aiming to make Alexa exhibit more human-like attributes, such as laughter and phrases like “uh-huh” during conversations.
The annual gadget event held by Amazon allows journalists and industry insiders to preview new devices before they hit the market. In addition to the updated Alexa, the tech giant showcased a fee-based emergency service for Alexa, new Echo smart speakers, and Amazon Fire tablets for kids.
In August, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced the retirement of Dave Limp, who has been with the company for nearly 14 years and has overseen innovations in Kindle readers, Amazon’s Fire TV, and Echo devices. While the devices unit has introduced numerous gadgets over the years, not all of them have gained significant traction, such as the Alexa-enabled microwave or the roaming Astro robot.
The devices unit was affected by Amazon’s company-wide layoffs a few months ago, but the company has not yet announced a replacement for Limp.
According to Insider Intelligence, Amazon currently leads the U.S. smart speaker market with nearly 64 million monthly users of its Echo devices. However, market research suggests that Amazon may lose some market share in the coming years as the number of smart speakers continues to grow. Additionally, consumers are increasingly using their smartphones to access voice assistants instead of relying solely on smart speakers.
Amazon reported last year that 50% of Alexa customers used the device for shopping. Limp mentioned that more customers have been using Alexa for shopping compared to the previous year. According to Adobe Analytics, consumers primarily use their smart speakers to play music, check the weather, and set alarms and reminders.