A major overhaul of the Alexa platform is on the way, and it’s likely to be costly, according to eight current and former Alexa employees who spoke on condition of anonymity. Reuters The project has been dubbed “Banyan” internally, a reference to a type of fig tree with roots that grow both upwards and outwards, which seems like an apt metaphor for what will be Alexa’s first major overhaul since its 2014 debut.
Internally, Amazon is calling this “Amazing Alexa,” but sources interviewed called it “a desperate attempt to return Alexa to its former glory.” To make matters worse, Amazon is considering charging $5 to $10 a month for the privilege.
This new “Remarkable Alexa” will replace the current form of Classic Alexa (free). “Remarkable Alexa” will have all the AI enhancements, including the ability to answer more complex queries and prompts. It will be built on contextual information about your smart home usage, so it’ll know when to start brewing your coffee in the morning, without needing to set it up the night before. Sources say Amazon is pushing workers on the project towards an August deadline to have something to show off soon.
We Knew last month Amazon has been working on something behind the scenes for Alexa was done Working on introducing AI September. Also, it is You are considering charging your customers for features. Since Amazon doesn’t make a lot of money from Alexa, this at least could allow it to recoup some of the costs of running such an outfit while still charging for the service.
Google charges for Gemini on a tiered basis depending on the sophistication of your needs, so paying for the AI extensions isn’t entirely out of the question. Google’s deal is a bit better value, though, since it can be bundled with a Google Workspace subscription. Google’s AI is also part of its entire suite of services: Android, Google Docs, and its search engine. Meanwhile, Amazon’s paid Alexa relies on the gadgets and services you connect yourself. There’s not much of an Amazon ecosystem beyond its shopping and media services.
Reuters reached out to Amazon for a statement on the matter. Unsurprisingly, Amazon did not respond with any confirmation of the reports. The company did acknowledge that it has something new in the works for Alexa. But would you be willing to pay $5 to $10 a month for it?
