Wed, 26 Feb 2025

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 Alexa relaunched with ambition to be 'your best digital friend'

It is available from March and included in a Prime subscription - or $19.99 to non-members.

* Amazon has launched Alexa+, a revamped version of its virtual assistant that can have natural-sounding conversations.
* The new features include remembering information and being able to make suggestions based on users' preferences (e.g. gluten-free vegan recipes).
* Alexa+ will be included for free in Prime subscriptions, but non-members will pay $19.99 (£16) per month.
* Experts say that consumers may struggle to get past their limited expectations of Amazon devices and that a truly personal AI assistant should be on users' phones rather than on countertop devices.
* Amazon is hoping to challenge competitors such as Google Assistant and Siri with Alexa+.
* The new technology uses large language models (LLMs) which have made rapid progress in recent years.
* Amazon expects Alexa+ to be available globally, including in countries where Alexa is currently available, from March 2025 onwards.
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