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Amazon Employees Debate Idea of Charging for Alexa

Jan 22, 2024 - pymnts.com
Amazon is reportedly planning to launch a paid subscription plan for its voice assistant, Alexa, by June 30, according to internal documents and sources cited by Business Insider. However, the launch may be delayed due to internal disagreements and issues with the upgraded assistant, dubbed "Remarkable Alexa", which has been tested with 15,000 customers. The new Alexa has been criticized for providing inaccurate information and unnecessarily long answers, and for its inability to efficiently handle requests involving multiple services.

Despite these issues, research indicates that more than half of consumers would be willing to pay for an AI-powered voice assistant. However, concerns about data errors and security breaches may limit the use of voice technology for complex tasks involving personal or financial information. As voice technology evolves, it is expected that consumers will gradually trust it to carry out complex tasks with less risk.

Key takeaways:

  • Amazon is reportedly planning to roll out a paid subscription plan for its voice assistant, Alexa, but internal friction and quality issues could delay the launch.
  • The new version of Alexa, referred to as 'Remarkable Alexa', has been tested with 15,000 customers, but has been found to provide inaccurate or unnecessarily long answers.
  • There is internal debate within Amazon about whether customers would be willing to pay for Alexa, despite research suggesting that more than half of consumers would pay for an AI-powered voice assistant.
  • Consumers are currently more comfortable using voice technology for simpler tasks, but there is an expectation that as the technology evolves, it will be trusted for more complex tasks.
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