Amazon has launched the early access phase of its revamped Alexa voice assistant, dubbed Alexa+, which promises more fluid and natural conversations. The new AI-powered assistant is being rolled out to a small number of customers, with plans to expand to millions by May.
According to Daniel Rausch, Amazon’s vice president of Alexa and Echo, the company has “completely re-architected” Alexa around large language models, shifting away from rules-based systems that powered earlier versions. This upgrade enables Alexa+ to act autonomously on user requests, completing tasks online without requiring human intervention.
During a live demo, Rausch showed how Alexa+ could book a dishwasher repair through Thumbtack, gathering details via voice and sending a request for completion. However, it remains to be seen whether users will prefer using their voice for tasks versus the simplicity of a smartphone app or web browser.
Amazon is also playing catch-up with AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Rausch downplayed the competition, saying “Alexa is not a chatbot. Alexa is Alexa.” Despite this, he expressed optimism about the new assistant’s reception and highlighted its ability to automate tasks and provide personalized conversations.
The pricing strategy and rollout to third-party platforms are among the key business questions Amazon is addressing with Alexa+.
Source: https://www.geekwire.com/2025/geekwire-podcast-inside-amazons-attempt-to-reinvent-alexa-for-the-new-era-of-ai