Amazon has been centered on bringing generative AI to Alexa for the previous few years, hitting a number of delays in launching new options that the corporate first introduced in September 2023. The deferred Alexa 2.0 appears poised for a 2025 launch, as evidenced by the shock Units and Providers occasion Amazon is internet hosting on the finish of the month.
Amid rumors of Alexa 2.0 shortcomings, Amazon skipped its 2024 Units and Providers occasion, the place the corporate usually publicizes new Alexa options and {hardware} gadgets. Now, the corporate plans to host an Amazon Alexa-themed occasion, the place it’s anticipated to unveil the voice assistant's generative AI options and at last put an ETA on its launch.
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The occasion, which is able to happen on Feb. 26 in New York Metropolis, might be Panos Panay's first since becoming a member of the Units and Providers division after his Microsoft exit. However apart from new Alexa options, Amazon might be getting ready to launch different gadgets.
What to anticipate from Amazon's February 2025 occasion
Generative AI in Alexa
That is anticipated to be the primary occasion in the course of the Units and Providers bulletins on the finish of February. Over the past Units and Providers occasion, Amazon government Dave Limp introduced a gen AI-powered Alexa coming to an Echo machine close to you.
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This Alexa 2.0 featured a extra pure cadence in its replies, may deal with a number of prompts in a session, and would generate content material as a substitute of offering a canned reply to questions. It might additionally function higher customization energy to recollect person preferences (maybe like ChatGPT's Reminiscence) for extra productive person interactions.
However Amazon mentioned little concerning the new Alexa after the occasion, with info launched solely by rumors that the corporate was repeatedly pressured to delay its gen AI launch as a result of poor efficiency. When the corporate skipped final yr's occasion after which despatched out invites to an occasion for Feb. 26, the logical hypothesis is that that is the daybreak of Alexa 2.0.
Whereas Alexa dominates the US marketplace for digital assistants, most popular by two-thirds of Individuals, it's additionally not too long ago fallen behind different assistants, together with Google and, most not too long ago, Siri. The discharge of OpenAI's ChatGPT lately triggered a tidal wave of generative AI that pushed different digital assistants ashore, whereas Alexa seems to have sunk to the underside of the ocean.
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ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot powered by OpenAI's applied sciences, Google Assistant powered by Gemini, and Siri powered by Apple LLMs and OpenAI have all change into the go-to generative AI digital assistants up to now 2.5 years. Whereas their highway to take action has been riddled with obstacles and delays, they've all gotten there in the end — aside from Amazon's Alexa.
Amazon is rumored to have a 'go, no-go' session on Feb. 14, 12 days earlier than the occasion, to make a last determination on the launch.
Subscription tiers
Amazon's Alexa 2.0 is anticipated to work behind a subscription service that might vary from $5 to $10 month-to-month. Whereas this has been rumored for a few yr, phrase is that Amazon is planning to introduce the upgraded Alexa without spending a dime to a restricted variety of customers.
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The 'Basic Alexa' will nonetheless be accessible for customers preferring to not pay the month-to-month charge, although it's not sure how lengthy Amazon plans to take care of the present model.
New Echo gadgets
An Echo Pop and a fifth-generation Echo Dot (left) and a fourth-generation Echo Dot (proper).
Whereas Amazon skipped its large-scale Units and Providers occasion final yr, it nonetheless launched a number of new gadgets from October by December of 2024, together with the most important Echo Present ever — the 21-inch mannequin. Amazon additionally launched a brand new Echo Present 15, its first-ever colour Kindle, the Kindle Colorsoft, a brand new Kindle Scribe, a Hearth TV Stick HD, and a brand new Hearth HD 8 pill.
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Whereas that is already a full lineup of gadgets, Amazon may nonetheless launch some new {hardware} throughout its February 2025 occasion. Amazon may debut new Echo audio system, like an improved Amazon Echo overdue for an improve, or a brand new sensible show designed to benefit from the brand new generative AI-powered Alexa.
The summer time of 2024 additionally noticed the launch of the Echo Spot, a brand new sensible speaker with a small display screen that revives the clock radio.
Hearth TV upgrades
Whereas many of the focus for the Amazon Units and Providers occasions is on Alexa, we may see some Hearth TV upgrades coming to Amazon's lineup of sensible TV gadgets.
Amazon introduced the Hearth TV Omni Mini-LED sequence of sensible TVs final November, in addition to a brand new Soundbar Plus Collection and upgraded 4-Collection. Whereas I'm not anticipating a brand new lineup of Hearth TV panels, I may see Amazon releasing new generative AI capabilities for present Hearth TVs or revamping its older Hearth TV Sticks.