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Amazon Says All It Needs to Do Before Releasing an AI-Powered Alexa Is to Solve the Giant Engineering Problem That Nobody Else on Earth Has Been Able to Solve

Jan 18, 2025 - futurism.com
Amazon is working to develop an AI-powered Alexa digital assistant but faces significant challenges, particularly with "hallucinations," where AI models generate non-factual information. Despite substantial investments, these hallucinations remain a persistent issue, potentially intrinsic to the technology itself. Experts suggest that eliminating hallucinations may be nearly impossible, as they are a fundamental aspect of how AI models function. Companies like Microsoft are exploring solutions, such as using AI to evaluate other AI outputs, but this approach has its critics.

Amazon lags behind competitors in releasing a generative AI-powered assistant, with Alexa's capabilities still limited to basic tasks. The high operational costs and energy inefficiency of AI models add to the challenge of making such assistants profitable. Apple is also revamping its Siri assistant but has delayed its release until 2026 due to similar issues, including a halted AI news feature that spread false information. The stakes are high, as deploying a hallucinating assistant with access to home devices could lead to significant problems.

Key takeaways:

  • Amazon is working on an AI-powered Alexa but faces technical challenges, particularly with reducing "hallucinations" in AI models.
  • Despite significant investments, even advanced AI models struggle with generating false claims, a problem some experts believe is intrinsic to the technology.
  • Companies like Microsoft are exploring using more AI to evaluate outputs, but this approach may be flawed according to some experts.
  • Both Amazon and Apple face challenges in developing AI assistants, with concerns about hallucinations and the high costs of running such technology.
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