Amazon Alexa is evolving into a chatbot for your home

Amazon's Alexa is set to receive a major upgrade that will bring its conversational capabilities more in line with modern chatbots like Google Bard or OpenAI's ChatGPT, David Limp SVP of Amazon Devices & Services, announced during the company's 2023 Devices event on Wednesday. The long running digital assistant will soon be driven by a purpose-built large language model that will be available in nearly every new Echo device. 

“Our latest model has been specifically optimized for voice," Limp told the assembled crowd, "and the things we know our customers love —like having access to real-time information, efficiently controlling their smart home, and getting the most out of their home entertainment.”

Amazon is itself no stranger to genAI technology. The company recently released a generative model to help its e-commerce sellers write product listings as well as incorporated a slew of AI-based features into its Thursday Night Football broadcasts at the start of the NFL season. The online seller has also weathered criticism from the Writers Guild of America over the retailer's allowance of AI-generated book listings which infringe heavily upon copyrighted works (and occasionally recommend eating suspect mushrooms). 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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