What is Alexa+ and How’s it Powered by AI?

Amazon has introduced Alexa+, an advanced AI assistant powered by generative AI.

The company says it is more conversational, personalised, and capable of handling a wide range of tasks, from entertainment to home management.

A spokesperson said: “The first time I spoke to Alexa, it felt like the future had arrived.

“I wanted all the technology in my life to work that way.”

Alexa+ is built on large language models integrated with Amazon Bedrock.

It orchestrates across tens of thousands of services and devices, enabling users to control smart homes, book reservations, and shop online.

The assistant works with platforms including Philips Hue, Roborock, OpenTable, Vagaro, Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, iHeartRadio, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, Grubhub, Uber Eats, and Ticketmaster.

Alexa+ introduces “agentic capabilities,” allowing it to complete tasks independently.

For example, it can arrange home repairs by navigating the web, finding service providers through Thumbtack, and booking appointments.

It can also personalise experiences by remembering user preferences such as dietary restrictions, family recipes, and important dates.

Amazon said: “Alexa+ can remember that you love pizza, your daughter is vegetarian, and your partner is gluten-free, to suggest a recipe or restaurant.”

Alexa+ offers an immersive conversational experience, understanding colloquial language and complex requests.

Users can ask it to summarise information, organise schedules, track deliveries, and manage entertainment systems.

It can move music between speakers, control Fire TV, and provide security alerts via Ring devices.

The assistant is available on Echo devices, a new mobile app, and a browser-based experience at Alexa.com.

Conversations remain seamless across devices, allowing users to start on one and continue on another.

Alexa+ supports document and media uploads, allowing users to share emails, photos, and study materials for organisation and summarisation.

For example, users can send a live music schedule for Alexa+ to add to their calendar or upload study notes for quiz creation.

Amazon emphasises privacy, stating Alexa+ is built on AWS infrastructure with a centralised privacy dashboard.

Alexa+ will begin rolling out in the United States in the coming weeks, starting with an early access period.

This initial phase will only be available for screen-enabled Echo devices, specifically the Echo Show 8, 10, 15 and the newly announced Echo Show 21. These users will receive notifications via email and device alerts once access is granted.

Amazon hasn’t given any indication on when the UK will get Alexa+ but it is expected sometime in 2025.

The assistant will cost $19.99 per month but is free for Amazon Prime members.

When it arrives in the UK, it is expected to cost £19.99.