At Amazon.com, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: AMZN) annual devices event on Wednesday, Senior Vice President of Devices and Services David Limp disclosed a vision for the company’s updated virtual assistant Alexa.
The new version would be powered by generative AI and based on a new, custom-built large language model (LLM) called “Let’s chat,” which will also be available to existing Echo owners in the upcoming few weeks as an “early preview.”
What Happened: The LLM will enable Alexa to create messages on behalf of users and respond in more natural ways with a more human-like voice without being prompted by a wake word. With this upgrade to Alexa, Amazon is looking to enable five foundational capacities: conversation, real-world utility, personalization and context, personality, and trust.
Alexa will now be equipped to take in more than one command in one line at a time, such as “Alexa, close all the blinds, turn off all the lights, and start the vacuum.”
“Automatic lighting, call translation, Alexa emergency assist, educational experiences for children, and top connections will also be added to Alexa,” said Limp.
The map view feature will help in creating digital floor plans of customers’ homes and easily manage connected devices. The feature will be available on the Alexa app in late 2023 and on Echo Hub in early 2024.
“Among the many other features, Alexa will be enhanced to have access to real-time information, so owners can efficiently control their smart home and get the most out of their home entertainment,” said Limp.
The company also launched an updated Echo Show 8 smart speaker among the many other range of Echo devices. Echo Show 8 uses computer vision to adjust its display based on where the user is standing in a room.
With this update, Amazon is looking to join other tech peers such as Microsoft and Google which are also focusing on the various applications of generative AI for delivering better solutions.
Produced in association with Benzinga
Edited by Priscilla Jepchumba and Newsdesk Manager
