Amazon’s upgraded digital assistant, Alexa+, powered by generative AI, has been rolling out invites to over 1 million users. The service is not yet publicly available but has reached this milestone through its waitlist, where invited customers can test the new system.
Alexa+ offers more natural and personalized interactions, smart home integration, and expanded capabilities thanks to AI. It will be free for Prime customers during Early Access and $19.99 per month for non-Prime users after public launch.
Amazon aims to create a generative AI experience that can eventually be monetized. The service allows users to chat with Alexa in more natural language, creating routines, searching across camera footage, and interrupting conversations. It also provides personalized experiences by saving user preferences and remembering favorite songs and recipes.
The AI component enables Alexa to summarize emails, create bedtime stories, generate quizzes, make travel itineraries, and answer questions. Initial partners include OpenTable, Ticketmaster, Uber Eats, and others.
As of May 2025, Alexa+ had reached over 100,000 users, representing a fraction of the 600 million Alexa devices sold. Amazon plans to expand availability to Echo customers, Fire TV users, and Fire tablet users.
Customers have reported mixed results, with some praising the service as more advanced than Siri, while others found it still rough around the edges. Nearly 90% of announced features have shipped, with the service nearing full launch.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/23/over-a-million-people-now-have-access-to-the-gen-ai-powered-alexa