Proactive Investors - Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) is set to launch a paid, upgraded version of its voice assistant Alexa that uses generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), according to a report by CNBC.
Sources with knowledge of Amazon’s plans told the publication that the “more conversational” version of Alexia will launch later this year and would potentially position it to better compete with other chatbots such as OpenAI’s GPT4-o and Google’s Gemini.
Per the report, the development of new AI chatbots has “increased pressure internally” on the Alexa division.
The offering will not be included in Amazon Prime subscriptions, which cost US$139 per year, but a price point is yet to be determined, the sources added.
When asked to comment on its plans for Alexa, Amazon directed the publication to its latest annual shareholder letter released in April.
In the letter, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told investors the company is building a “substantial number of GenAI applications across every Amazon consumer business,” including “an even more intelligent and capable Alexa.”
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is also reportedly considering an overhaul of its Siri virtual assistant to include GenAI features in a bid to compete with new AI chatbots.