Alexa+, the new Amazon glue
Amazon unveiled its latest version of Alexa+ at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Alexa, the AI assistant, in the past, was never that great. It was first introduced to the world back in 2014 as part of the new device - Amazon Echo. The vision was a device which would listen and respond to requests like 'Alexa, play music', 'Alexa, set an alarm' or 'Alexa, read me the news'. In 2021, Amazon introduced FireTV so you can ask 'Alexa, what should I watch?'
One would think that as successful a company as Amazon is would turn Alexa into a massive success. Not that much. In 2022, Amazon was losing $10 billion just that year alone. It turned out that the technology was not even close to providing basic functionality. Companies realized that talking to computers and carrying conversations was beyond technical capabilities at that time. Actually, it sent people over the edge and made them angry.
Despite the massive layoffs in 2022, Amazon doubled down on making Alexa better. In 2024, the Alexa team started making headway and in February 2025 introduced the Alexa+. What changed? The world got introduced to ChatGPT and we could suddenly carry conversations with a computer.
And here we are in 2026, and Amazon has delivered the next version of Alexa. What's new this time? Alexa got a new interface. You can interact with Alexa not only through Amazon Echo devices (speakers and displays) but also using a browser or mobile app.
Aside from the new interface, what did we get here? The marketing pitch from Amazon talks about quick answers to simple questions, complex topics exploration and doing homework. Also, it will help with tasks like - managing to-do lists, controlling devices and of course making restaurant reservations. Above all, it wants to integrate the Amazon empire into your life. Managing your schedule, providing recipes, creating shopping lists to buy in Whole Foods, buying things on Amazon market or watching a movie on Amazon TV with your Amazon Prime subscription, where while watching the movie, you can purchase the items as they show up on the screen.
The light bulb went off and there was finally a realization at Amazon that the voice interface has its limitations and is usable only in certain contexts.
Just look at all your devices - phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, monitor(s), TV, keyboard, mouse, trackpad, speakers, headphones, VR/AR headset. Each device or their combination are better at different tasks. Sometimes it is easier to type, talk, look, listen or touch. In the wrong context, it becomes highly irritating.
Amazon learned about that the hard way. Will the inclusion of the new interfaces solve the problem for Amazon? Definitely not! Just look at Apple. A company which has the ultimate control over its ecosystem of devices and operating systems and app store and slew of add-on devices which you can attach, Siri is still useless. An example? Me asking a simple question while driving - and Siri is fully aware that I am driving because the phone is locked - Siri answers with a displayed list and says 'this is what I found on the Internet' .. !!!
Amazon has another problem. It doesn't know enough about you. Compared to Google, which has access to your emails, calendar and documents; and knows your search and browsing history - Amazon knows you mostly through your purchases, movies watched or occasional commands when using Alexa. That's why the new Alexa+ offers to integrate with your email and calendar account, manage your family schedule and learn about your friends. All that so it can learn more about you and provide you with better service. Do you feel the love already?
The above should be a reminder of how difficult it is to introduce a new type of device with new functionality, and you are asking users to change their behavior. You might remember the announcement from OpenAI about building the 3rd device. A device which complements your laptop and phone - “... a product that uses A.I. to create a computing experience that is less socially disruptive than the iPhone.”
The recurrent pattern? Amazon is not giving up on Alexa. It is betting billions on it. Let's see if this time the offer is such that you won't be able to resist.