Amazon is considering splittingAlexainto two tiers, and charging at least $5 but possibly up to $10 per month to access a superior, conversational version withgenerative AI, according toReuterssources. Codenamed Project Banyan and dubbed “Remarkable Alexa,” the superior version would purportedly be capable of things like composing an email, sending it, and ordering food throughUber Eats– all in the same prompt. People would also be able to personalize the voice assistant more, and use the “Alexa” wake word less often.
Apple, Amazon, and Google are ignoring the smart home, and that’s a mistake
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Remarkable Alexa could potentially be proactive with smart home automation, the sources say, for instance turning on a TV in time for a favorite show, or turning on porch lights in the evening. At moment Alexa will sometimes suggest automation routines based on habits, but it’s up to users to finish assembling them via the Alexa mobile app. It’s not clear whether people would be able to turn proactive control on and off.
As for Amazon’s core business – shopping – the notion is that Remarkable would be able to offer advice on what to buy, much like the text-based Rufus AI service Amazon launched earlier in 2024. The company has so far failed to gain traction with people actually buying things through Alexa, since most people want to see a product before they consider dropping any money on it.
Amazon is said to be aiming at an August deadline for revamping Alexa. A free version, “Classic Alexa,” should remain available, but still receive some AI improvements. The sources didn’t indicate what those might be, but in an official statement, an Amazon spokeswoman said that the company has “already integrated generative AI into different components of Alexa,” and is “working hard on implementation at scale” to “enable even more proactive, personal, and trusted assistance for our customers.”
A do-or-die moment for Alexa
Amazon actually demonstrated a generative AI version of Alexa during a September 2023 press event, but with no release window or definite product to sell. The Reuters report suggests that details are finally taking shape, although the company may need to refresh its Echo speaker lineup to keep pace. The flagship 4th gen Echo first launched in 2020, and its processor tech may not be powerful enough for advanced AI.
