Amazon has launched an exciting new web portal, Alexa.com, where customers can engage with Amazon’s cutting-edge AI assistant, Alexa+, on the web. This launch happened to coincide with the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It goes a long way towards widening the reach of Alexa+’s accessibility. We will release the new platform first in closed beta to the first batch of all Alexa+ Early Access customers. This lets them communicate with the AI similarly to how they might with widely-used chatbots like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.
Alexa+ has become an instant hit with users thanks to its unique capabilities. Today, a remarkable 76% of Alexa+ usage is focused on tasks that no other AI can execute. This means digging deep into nuanced topics, developing compelling content all the way down to specific trip itineraries. Just 24% of users use Alexa+ for things that other AIs can do. This drives home just how different and unique of a role Alexa+ occupies in the lives of its users.
Amazon is rolling out the Alexa.com web site. This step is in line with its wider goal of making it easier for customers to interact with its AI products. Daniel Rausch, the Vice President of Alexa and Echo at Amazon, emphasized the importance of the unique tasks that customers rely on Alexa for.
“One, because customers count on Alexa to do unique things. You know, you can send a photograph of an old family recipe to Alexa and then talk through the recipe as you’re cooking it in your kitchen, substitute ingredients for what you have around the home, and get the job all the way done.” – Daniel Rausch
These new features of Alexa+ have already driven some impressive changes in user behavior. Customers using Alexa+ have told us they’re shopping 3x more often than they were. They’ve increased their use of recipes by five times! Here’s a glimpse into how this AI has made itself an indispensable tool in meal planning and ingredient shopping.
Even heavy smart home users show a clear step up in their usage of Alexa+. These customers are heavy users of Alexa+ for smart home control. In fact, their usage is 50% higher than with the original Alexa, proof of consumers’ ever-growing dependence on this AI helper to maintain their connected home.
Alexa+ has gotten a lukewarm reception from the public, and many users took to social media and Reddit to voice their concerns with the service. Rausch says these criticisms go too far. He admitted that most of the problems you see pointed out across the internet don’t give a good picture of the assistant’s overall effectiveness.
For this rollout, the updated Alexa app will focus on conversation with Alexa. Rausch emphasized that what users are looking for now is more of a dialogue with the assistant. This change relegates traditional features to the back seat, placing the focus on conversational capabilities front and center.
With this launch, the priority is improving the user experience. It addresses a number of issues that have come up since Alexa+ was first rolled out. Amazon clearly wants the interaction between users and their AI assistant to be richer and more rewarding. They accomplish this by offering an open platform where candidates can engage directly.