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Amazon wants to charge for ‘Alexa Plus’ but the AI isn’t playing ball
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Amazon is preparing for a future where users will pay a subscription for an AI-powered version of Alexa.
Given the emergence of large language model-powered tools likeOpenAI’s ChatGPTandGoogle’s own efforts with Bard, the well-used, almost ubiquitous voice assistant is at risk of being left behind.
However, according to a newBusiness Insiderreport, the efforts to match the newest assistants with a more conversational product are floundering due to tech issues and internal politics.
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The report says the ‘Alexa Plus’ service is planned to launch on June 30, and is currently testing the product with 15,0000 users. However, testers cited in the report say the service frequently provides inaccurate information. The so-called Remarkable Alexa upgrade “often gives unnecessarily long or inaccurate responses” the report says.
Amazon had previously hinted the next version of Alexa carrying generative AI technology may well come with a fee attached. It’s not clear how much the company would charge, or whether it might be part of an Amazon Prime subscription. However, unless there’s a significant improvement prior to launch, it may be a stretch for users to start forking over cash.
“If this fails to get revenue, Alexa is in trouble,” one of the sources with knowledge of the situation told Business Insider.
Amazon is among the early voice assistant providers playing catch-up with the emerging generative AI models. Apple is another one. In the latter’s case, theissue with bringing Siri up to speedcomes with an inflexible architecture.
It remains to be seen whether Amazon can fix these reported issues before launching Alexa Plus this summer.
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Chris Smith is a freelance technology journalist for a host of UK tech publications, including Trusted Reviews. He’s based in South Florida, USA. …
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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
