Amazon, the largest online retailer, is reportedly looking to upgrade its Alexa voice assistant with more advanced features similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. According to an internal memo, the company aims to make Alexa able to respond to queries more intelligently and give it the ability to think instead of simply retrieving information. Following the layoff of close to 2000 of its employees from the Alexa and Devices unit, Amazon is now looking toward the development of its new Alexa Teacher Model, an AI technology that uses Large Language Models (LLMs) to better comprehend user requests and provide more personalized, accurate and proactive answers.
Additionally, users will experience a more robust search beyond simple, keyword queries. Alexa would take context into account, such as when users ask for a show “similar to Netflix’s Emily in Paris but less focused on fashion”, Alexa would be able to suggest Amazon Prime Video’s Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with a visual map showing why the show was recommended. To appeal to children, Alexa can also conjure a related story from their query such as “a cat and a moon”. For devices with a camera, Alexa can recognize objects from the user’s surroundings and incorporate that into the story.
As of now, Amazon has sold over 100 million Alexa-powered devices to users around the globe and intends for the upgrade to open new revenue opportunities. Amazon Chief Executive Officer, Andy Jassy, articulated the need to render the device more conversational and personalized to maintain its leading role in the market. You can now look forward to the new and improved Alexa voice assistant that is set to deliver even better experiences to users, with an improved ability to think on its feet.
