Amazon’s rocky Alexa+ launch might justify Apple’s slow pace with next-gen Siri
Amazon has finally started rolling out Alexa+, its oft-delayed overhaul of the Alexa voice assistant built on large language model technology. However, Alexa+ shows how difficult it is to replace a mature voice assistant with generative AI, especially when users expect instant, consistent results for simple tasks. It’s a real reality check on the notion that Amazon has managed to release something Apple promised and hasn’t shipped.
Alexa+, available as an limited preview on select Echo devices, was meant to blend the conversational abilities of generative AI with Alexa’s legacy skills like setting timers, playing music, and controlling smart home devices.
The result, according to a detailed review from The New York Times, is more fluid conversations and some impressive new capabilities. However, the change creates serious reliability issues, missing features, and even basic commands failing.
New York...
