Amazon unveils AI-powered Alexa+ with humanlike chat for $19.99 a month

LOS ANGELES - Amazon on Wednesday unveiled Alexa+, a generative AI-powered upgrade to its popular voice assistant that aims to provide more humanlike conversations and smarter interactions. 

Unlike previous versions of Alexa, which were free on Alexa-enabled devices, the new Alexa+ will cost $19.99 per month—though it will be free for Amazon Prime members.

The tech giant says Alexa+ can check a user’s tone, remember handwritten recipes, fetch emails, and even plan romantic dates. The update is part of Amazon’s push to make Alexa more interactive and drive engagement across its ecosystem of smart home devices.

How the new Alexa+ works

Big picture view:

At a media event in New York City, Amazon executives demonstrated how Alexa+ has improved conversational abilities and can learn user preferences over time, such as dietary restrictions and frequently used services.

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

Amazon's Panos Panay, vice president of devices and services, showcased features like creating study plans, calling an Uber, texting a babysitter, and checking Ring camera footage. The assistant can also analyze video feeds to interpret the mood of a room—a feature Amazon kept under wraps until now.

"She’s smarter than she’s ever been before, but she’s also approachable," Panay said.

Alexa+ uses a model-agnostic system, meaning it can pull from various AI models, including Amazon’s own technology and models from Anthropic, a startup the company has heavily invested in.

FILE - In this photo illustration, the virtual assistant technology owned by Amazon, Alexa, logo seen displayed on a smartphone with an Artificial intelligence (AI) chip and symbol in the background. (Photo Illustration by Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

When and where Alexa+ will be available

What's next:

Amazon will begin rolling out Alexa+ in the U.S. next month. Initially, access will be limited to users with newer Echo Show devices, which have screens to display Alexa responses. Over time, Alexa+ will expand internationally and become available on more devices.

Some older Echo models will not support Alexa+, but users can continue using the original version of Alexa if they choose.

Why Amazon is charging for Alexa+

Why you should care:

Amazon has struggled to turn Alexa into a major shopping tool, with most users relying on the assistant for basic tasks like playing music, checking the weather, and setting reminders.

By introducing a subscription model, Amazon aims to offset the rising costs of AI development and boost the profitability of its smart device division. The company says Alexa-enabled engagement grew 20% last year, with over 600 million Alexa devices sold globally.

Alexa competes with Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant in the smart speaker market, but its new AI-powered features could give Amazon an edge in the race to integrate generative AI into everyday devices.