Amazon Unveils Alexa+ with Generative AI

Amazon has unveiled a revamped version of its popular voice assistant, Alexa, now infused with advanced artificial intelligence features. This updated version, called "Alexa+" marks the first major overhaul of Alexa since its debut over a decade ago in 2014. The new Alexa leverages generative AI to enhance its capabilities, making it more conversational, personalized, and proactive compared to its previous iterations.

With Alexa+, Amazon aims to bring the assistant into the modern AI era, allowing it to perform tasks like detecting a user’s tone, offering more personality in responses, and even assisting with complex activities such as planning romantic dates or managing smart home devices with greater context awareness. 

For example, it can not only play music but also engage in detailed conversations about artists, or analyze security camera footage to answer specific questions like "When was the dog last walked?" It’s designed to learn from user interactions, remembering personal details—like dietary preferences—to tailor its suggestions and responses over time.

The revamped Alexa comes with a subscription cost of $19.99 per month for non-Prime members, though it’s free for Amazon Prime subscribers. 

This shift to a paid model reflects Amazon’s confidence in the assistant’s upgraded features and its potential to drive value for consumers, especially after years of reportedly losing money on its Echo hardware division. The rollout begins in March 2025, starting with select Echo Show devices (like the Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21), and will eventually extend to nearly all Alexa-enabled devices shipped by Amazon, except for some first-generation models.

This update has been in the works for some time, with Amazon first teasing an AI-enhanced Alexa in 2023. The project, internally dubbed "Banyan," integrates powerful large language models and partnerships with companies like Anthropic (known for its Claude AI) to boost its intelligence. Alexa+ also connects with a wide range of third-party services—think OpenTable for reservations, Uber for rides, or Ring for home security—making it a more capable "agent" that can orchestrate tasks across multiple platforms seamlessly.

The announcement reflects Amazon’s broader push to stay competitive in the consumer AI space, where rivals like Google’s Gemini and Apple’s Siri (with Apple Intelligence) have also been advancing their offerings. 

With an estimated 500 million Alexa-capable devices already in homes, this revamp is a big bet for Amazon to revitalize interest in Alexa and turn it into a more integral part of users’ daily lives. Whether it lives up to the hype will depend on how well it delivers on its promises of being smarter, more helpful, and worth the price tag for those who opt in.