Amazon's Big Alexa Event: What's in Store?

Amazon is set to host a big event focused on Alexa in NYC. It's been almost two years since their last major device showcase, so expectations are high for some exciting news. The event won't be live-streamed, but reporters will be there to cover it. The event will be led by Panos Panay, Amazon's new head of devices and services. He used to work at Microsoft Surface. The event starts at 10 a. m. ET. Amazon has been losing money on Alexa despite selling a lot of devices. The company's CEO, Andy Jassy, has been pushing the hardware team to find ways to make more money. One way could be through new subscriptions or services. One big announcement could be a new version of Alexa, codenamed Remarkable Alexa. This new Alexa is designed to make interactions more natural and intuitive, similar to ChatGPT. It's expected to cost between $5 and $10 a month. This new Alexa can handle multiple requests in one command and even take actions on its own. Amazon hinted at some of these features back in 2023. They promised that the new Alexa would work with existing devices and use generative AI to understand the context of requests and personalize responses. This could also mean better smart home capabilities. Several companies are working on integrations with the new Alexa using tools Amazon released in 2023. Amazon has been collaborating with brands like iRobot and Philips to make Alexa better at understanding what users want. A big question is whether the new, AI-powered Alexa can fix some of its current issues. Generative AI can sometimes get things wrong or make mistakes. The new Alexa has had delays, giving Amazon time to fix problems, but there's still uncertainty. Fortunately, users won't be forced to upgrade to the new Alexa. They can choose to stick with the "Classic Alexa" if they want. As for when the new Alexa will be available, it might be a while. The launch was delayed this month after the assistant gave incorrect answers to test questions. It might not be ready until the end of March or later.