Amazon announces Alexa+, takes on OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google Gemini

Amazon unveiled Alexa+, its long-awaited AI-powered voice assistant, on Wednesday after more than a year of delays. The upgraded assistant will be available in the coming weeks in the US, and Prime members can have it for free or others can pay $19.99 monthly for it.
The new assistant represents a complete redesign, transforming Alexa from a simple command-response tool into a conversational AI agent capable of autonomously completing complex tasks. Alexa+ can make restaurant reservations, order groceries, control smart home devices, and navigate web services with minimal user supervision.
"Until this moment – right this moment — we have been limited by the technology," said Panos Panay, Amazon's SVP of Devices & Services, during the New York launch event.
Originally announced in September 2023, Alexa+ faced significant development hurdles that pushed its release from early 2024 to now. Internal testing reportedly revealed problems with accuracy and functionality that required extensive revisions.
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The assistant combines multiple AI models, including Amazon's Nova model and others from companies like Anthropic. It integrates with numerous third-party services such as OpenTable, Spotify, Grubhub, Uber Eats, and Ticketmaster.
Amazon will begin rolling out early access next month, prioritizing Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21 device owners. The assistant will be accessible through compatible Echo devices, a new mobile app, and a browser-based experience at Alexa.com.
The Alexa+ positions Amazon against competitive AI offerings including OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and Apple's forthcoming Siri improvements, but it has an advantage here – about 600 million Alexa devices already in homes, and Amazon hopes this upgrade will revitalize its consumer electronics division, which has reportedly struggled to generate significant revenue despite widespread adoption.