Amazon’s new AI assistant, Alexa+, is being gradually introduced to select Echo Show devices in the United States. Despite being marketed as a significant advancement in voice technology, many of its promised features are either malfunctioning or entirely absent, leading to a lackluster initial experience. Unveiled earlier this year, Alexa+ is intended to bring more conversational interactions and capabilities such as email summarization and storytelling to users.
However, its introduction has been understated, with functionality falling short of expectations. The service comes at a substantial price of $20 per month, but early users report that many features are unreliable or not yet available. Positioned as Amazon’s competitor to AI systems like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, Alexa+ aims to enhance user experience with personalized routines.
Nevertheless, feedback indicates that it often delivers robotic responses that can include errors. For functionalities like document and email summaries, users are required to upload their content to the Alexa app, which Amazon acknowledges may not operate as intended. While some testers note improvements in handling basic queries compared to the previous version, consistency remains a challenge.
Users have found that the assistant frequently defaults to internet searches, similar to Siri, and features like AI-driven storytelling and custom routines are not yet available. Given the competitive landscape of AI development, Amazon’s decision to create its own large language model makes sense, especially after having integrated Alexa into millions of homes. However, the current rollout of Alexa+ reflects the complex challenges of developing functional AI technology.
With this early version feeling more like a beta test rather than a full launch, it remains to be seen when a more polished experience will be available. For now, Alexa+ seems to hold more potential than practical utility.
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