Amazon Revamps Alexa with Generative AI, Launches Alexa+

Amazon has unveiled a major overhaul of Alexa, integrating generative AI to create a more conversational experience. The new service, named Alexa+, allows for multiple prompts in sequence and can act as an "agent," taking actions without direct user involvement. This upgrade contrasts with the current Alexa, which handles only single requests. Alexa+ is free for Amazon Prime members and is priced at $19.99 a month for non-Prime users. The service will be available in March to some users, with the rollout expanding to more people over time. Daniel Rausch, vice president of Alexa and Echo, confirmed AI startup Anthropic's Claude was an underpinning of the service. Amazon has invested $8 billion in Anthropic. The upgrade, internally known as "Banyan," aims to enhance Alexa's capabilities and drive sales on Amazon's e-commerce platform. Amazon has invested billions in Alexa since its 2014 launch, with approximately 500 million Alexa-capable devices currently in use.