AMAZON'S NEW AI-POWERED ALEXA PROMISES TO BE YOUR 'BEST FRIEND IN A DIGITAL WORLD' FOR A MONTHLY FEE

Amazon this week unveiled a generative-AI infused Alexa that it says will allow the popular voice assistant to have more personality, check a user's tone and even plan romantic dates.

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But unlike before, when Alexa was offered for free on any Alexa-enabled devices, customers will have to pay Amazon a monthly fee of $19.99 for the revamped voice assistant, which it calls "Alexa+". However, the generative-AI powered Alexa will be free for Prime members, who pay the company a monthly or annual fee for free delivery and other perks.

At a media event held in New York City, Amazon executives showed off the update to the ten-year old digital assistant with the new features aimed at boosting sales and interactions with Alexa-enabled devices.

The company says Alexa+ is able to have conversations with a more natural, humanlike flow and can learn more about a user — such as dietary preferences or allergies - the more it's used.

"I'm not just an assistant, I'm your new best friend in the digital world,” Alexa+ said during an onstage demo.

At the event, Panos Panay, Amazon's vice president of devices & services, listed off the other things the voice assistant can now do, such as create study plans, text a babysitter and call an Uber ride for a friend. He and other company executives also said Alexa can fetch videos from Ring cameras - such as checking whether a user's dog was walked that day - and is able to remember handwritten recipes, emails and other documents shared with it.