The new personal assistant from Alexa takes a qualitative leap: it is now smarter, better understands context, picks up on indirect cues, and can perform real-world actions on our behalf. Starting this Thursday, Alexa incorporates Alexa+, a revamped platform that integrates advanced generative artificial intelligence, moving away from the traditional chatbot approach like ChatGPT or Claude. Andrés Pazos, country manager of Alexa in Spain, emphasizes that “it is not a chatbot; it goes beyond, as we have demonstrated with tangible actions in the real world.” The key to Alexa+ lies in its integration with third-party services, expanding its practical capabilities. While other assistants may suggest a playlist, Alexa+ plays it directly; it can book restaurants, manage purchases, and notify about package arrivals, all automatically. Alexa+ is compatible with 98% of Amazon speakers in Spain. According to the company, one in four Spaniards uses Alexa, and the update will gradually roll out to those who request early access, which will be free during this phase. In the end, only Prime users will retain free access; others will have to pay €22.95 per month, encouraging annual subscriptions to Amazon Prime, which costs around €50. The new Alexa+ relies on over 70 generative AI models, both proprietary and from third parties like Meta, Mistral, or Anthropic. “We have no preference for a specific model; we use the one that best fits the user's request, thanks to an orchestrator system,” explains Pazos. Additionally, Alexa+ is flexible regarding platforms: users can choose where to play content, whether on Amazon services or other streaming portals, and manage their calendar or email regardless of the provider, including Google. One of the major innovations is the integration with external platforms for practical services. For example, Tripadvisor will assist in travel planning, TheFork and CoverManager will allow table reservations in restaurants and automatically add them to the calendar. To do this, users will need to link their accounts from these applications. In the initial phase, Alexa+ already allows booking transportation with Cabify, purchasing tickets on Fever, or shopping on Amazon, all through voice commands. The AI also learns from each interaction, improving its recommendations and personalizing the experience over time. To make the most of Alexa+, users will need to share personal and daily usage information, such as documents, accounts, emails, or consumption habits. However, Pazos emphasizes that privacy is a priority: “The design of Alexa+ puts privacy at the center. The user controls what data they share and can manage or delete it from a new privacy panel in the app.” The company informs users about the operation and privacy options through newsletters, reinforcing transparency and user control over their data. Source: lavanguardia.com