Amazon’s upgraded, generative AI-powered version of its Alexa assistant, called Alexa+, is now available to all customers in the United States. The company stated that this AI feature will be free for Prime members to use across devices. Anyone can also use Alexa+ for free via the Alexa website or mobile app, though with some limitations.
Daniel Rausch, Vice President of Alexa and Echo at Amazon, explained that tens of millions of customers are already using Alexa+, and it is now being made available to all Prime members. He noted that Prime members enjoy unlimited access, which is essentially a paid-tier level of service included with their Prime subscription.
First announced last year, Alexa+ is model agnostic. This means it operates on a combination of Amazon’s own foundation models and models from other companies. This approach allows the assistant to do more than the basic tasks of its predecessor by utilizing whatever AI technology is best suited for a given job.
As an AI assistant, Alexa+ can carry on natural language conversations that include follow-up questions and back-and-forth chat. Beyond performing smart home tasks, setting timers, or providing news and weather as before, the new assistant can handle most functions common to other AI chatbots. This includes planning a trip itinerary, updating a shared calendar, finding and saving recipes, making movie recommendations, helping with homework, and exploring topics.
Integrations with services like Ticketmaster, Thumbtack, Uber, Angi, Expedia, Square, Yelp, Fodor’s, OpenTable, and Suno will enable Alexa to perform more complex tasks, such as scheduling a dinner reservation or requesting an Uber ride. Amazon has not yet shared user adoption numbers for these more autonomous, or “agentic,” use cases.
Throughout its year-long beta testing, customers had the option to try the AI feature or revert to the prior version of Alexa. Amazon states the option to roll back to the old Alexa will remain available for now, though the company could not specify for how long. This suggests Amazon wants more time to improve the AI experience before potentially making it a requirement. The percentage of users opting out is reportedly in the low single digits, indicating most customers are satisfied with Alexa+.
Amazon has worked to resolve bugs and address user feedback from the beta period. Some testers found Alexa+ too chatty or prone to interrupting at inopportune times, while others complained about the new voice. In response, Amazon revised the onboarding experience to show users how to change the voice, as some preferred the original “OG” voice, which remains available as a second option but now uses AI for more natural inflection.
The company also made adjustments to reduce unwanted interruptions. Alexa will now ask, “Is that for me?” when uncertain who is being addressed. The overall experience is configurable; for example, customers can turn off the follow-on mode that allows Alexa to continue listening after a response.
When asked if users will be able to change the AI assistant’s personality, as with some other chatbots, Rausch responded, “Stay tuned.”
During the beta, Amazon reported positive adoption trends in both usage and engagement, with few customers choosing to roll back. Music streams increased by 25 percent after customers upgraded to Alexa+, and engagement with recipe features grew fivefold. Overall, customers are having two to three times more conversations with Alexa+ compared to the original Alexa.
While Alexa+ will be free for U.S. Prime members, non-Prime customers can opt for standalone access at $19.99 per month, a price comparable to services like ChatGPT Plus. The free experience on web and mobile will have some limits, which Amazon says are mainly in place to prevent abuse.
The Alexa+ experience in the U.S. is available across Alexa devices, including Echo products, Fire TV, Alexa.com, the Alexa mobile app, and Alexa-enabled devices from partners like Samsung and Bose, with more partners expected.