Amazon announced updates to its suite of smart devices at its fall hardware event on Wednesday (September 20).
During its fall hardware event held at Amazon Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, the company’s Vice President of Devices and Services, David Limp, introduced a series of updates to its Alexa-powered devices. Additionally, Amazon previewed internet-connected eyeglasses and a wall-mounted tablet designed for smart-home control.
The highlight of the event was the unveiling of a large language model (LLM) that enhances Alexa’s capabilities. This move towards generative artificial intelligence aims to transform Alexa from a virtual assistant into a personal assistant capable of engaging conversations.
In a video advertisement, customers are seen asking increasingly complex prompts to Alexa, including requests for stories, romantic date ideas, and love poems. This showcases the improved conversational abilities of the AI assistant.
What do people actually use Alexa for?
With the LLM update, Alexa will now be able to understand complex sentences and multiple requests, while also monitoring users’ body language and eye contact to create more natural conversations.
However, according to a 2021 Bloomberg report, Amazon faces a user retention problem with Alexa. Internal data shows that a significant percentage of new Alexa users stop actively using the voice assistant after their second week. Among those who continue to use it, most only utilize basic commands like playing music or controlling lights.
This poses a challenge for Amazon, which has heavily invested in making Alexa the dominant voice assistant. The company hopes that the LLM update will transform Alexa from a gimmick to an indispensable tool, potentially even considering a fee for the technology in the future.
However, it remains to be seen whether consumers truly desire natural conversations with a robotic voice, beyond the initial novelty.
Listen up: Obsessed with Smart Homes
In our Quartz Obsession podcast episode, “Smart homes: Built to crash,” host Scott Nover refers to his Amazon Echo as an expensive kitchen timer, reflecting the sentiment of many listeners. Amazon aims to change this perception.
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