SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Amazon on Wednesday announced an upgraded Alexa experience, Alexa+, powered by generative AI technologies.
Amazon's devices and services chief Panos Panay called it a "complete re-architecture" of the AI assistant.
"The new Alexa knows ... your schedule, your smart home, your preferences, the devices you're using, the people you're connected," Panay said.
Like other assistants on the market, the upgraded Alexa has visual understanding. Through a device's camera, it can ingest a video feed and respond to questions, taking what's happening in the footage into account, the company said.
Alexa+ integrates tightly with Amazon's broader smart home ecosystem. Users can say a command to have Alexa play music from Amazon Music on a supported smart device connected to the same Wi-Fi network, or have a Fire TV device skip to a particular scene in a movie or TV show, according to the company.
Amazon pitched the new Alexa as not just a general-purpose assistant, but a serious productivity tool. Users can upload files and documents, and Alexa will be able to parse and refer to these in the future, according to the company.
Alexa+ will be a free Prime benefit or available to non-Prime customers for 19.99 U.S. dollars per month. ■
