Amazon to revamp Alexa with Anthropic's Claude AI chatbot
Amazon is set to launch an enhanced version of its voice assistant, Alexa, later this year. As reported by Reuters, this new iteration will primarily utilize Anthropic's Claude AI model. The decision comes after initial versions of the subscription-based voice assistant, which relied on Amazon's proprietary AI technology, faced challenges with word recognition and user prompt responses.
Amazon's investment in Anthropic under scrutiny
Amazon's minority stake in Anthropic is currently being scrutinized by UK competition regulators. The e-commerce giant invested $4 billion into the AI start-up last year, securing early access to its AI technology for Amazon customers. This partnership comes as part of Amazon's strategy to enhance its voice assistant capabilities amid increasing competition from rivals like OpenAI's Advanced Voice Mode for ChatGPT, Google Gemini's voice chat mode, and Siri's forthcoming Apple Intelligence update.
New Alexa outperforms previous versions
The upcoming version of Alexa, built around Claude, has reportedly outperformed previous iterations that used Amazon's in-house AI models. In a statement to Reuters, Amazon said: "When it comes to machine learning models, we start with those built by Amazon, but we have used and will continue to use a variety of different models — including (Amazon AI model) Titan and future Amazon models as well as those from partners — to build the best experience for customers."
'Remarkable Alexa' set for mid-October launch
The enhanced voice assistant, known as "Remarkable Alexa," is expected to launch in mid-October after experiencing several delays. The Washington Post recently reported that the new features will include daily AI-generated news summaries, a child-friendly chatbot, and conversational shopping tools. Reuters also revealed in June that Amazon was considering offering the new Alexa behind a $5 to $10 monthly subscription fee to make the assistant profitable while keeping the current "Classic Alexa" service free of charge.
Amazon to showcase demo at annual event
A demonstration of the new Alexa is slated for Amazon's annual devices and services event, typically held in September. This showcase will provide an opportunity for users to experience the enhanced capabilities of "Remarkable Alexa" before its official launch.
