Amazon is introducing a new feature for Alexa+ called Greetings, which adds conversational AI to compatible Ring doorbells. This feature allows users to manage deliveries, politely decline salespeople, and let family or friends leave a message when they are away.
Greetings works by having Ring analyze who is at your door based on their clothing, actions, and what they are carrying. It then responds according to your pre-set instructions. For instance, if the system detects a person in a delivery uniform dropping off a package, it will follow your specific directions.
You can customize settings to tell delivery personnel where to leave packages and even direct them toward water or snacks you have left out. If a signature is required, Alexa can ask the delivery person when they might return and relay that message to you.
The feature can also handle visits from sales representatives or service vendors. You can set an instruction like, “If someone comes to the door trying to sell something, politely let them know we’re not interested.” When friends or family visit while you are busy or not home, Alexa can greet them and ask them to leave a message for you.
It is important to note that this technology carries a risk of misidentifying people and responding inappropriately. For example, if a friend who works in logistics visits after work in their uniform, Ring might mistakenly ask them to leave a package instead of offering them the chance to leave a message.
This new feature follows the controversial “Familiar Faces” facial recognition tool for Ring, which lets users create a catalog of up to 50 regular visitors. Once labeled, these individuals are identified by name in the Ring app’s timeline and notifications when they visit.
Amazon clarifies that Greetings uses Ring’s video descriptions to determine the main subject in front of the camera for generating responses and does not actually identify who the person is.
The feature is compatible with the Ring Wired Doorbell Pro (3rd Gen) and Ring Wired Doorbell Plus (2nd Gen). It is available to users on the Ring Premium Plan who have enabled video descriptions and is currently rolling out to Alexa+ Early Access customers in the United States and Canada.