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Amazon could ditch its own AI for Claude in Alexa upgrade
- Amazon’s upgraded Alexa could be powered by Anthropic’s Claude instead of its own AI software.
- The new “Remarkable” Alexa aims to offer advanced features like personalized shopping advice, news aggregation, and enhanced home automation.
- While the upgraded voice assistant is expected to launch in October, Amazon may preview the new Alexa and its capabilities at its annual event in September.
We reported earlier this week that Amazon’s upgraded Alexa could launch in October and may cost up to $10 per month. According to Reuters, this paid version of Alexa could be powered by Anthropic’s Claude, not Amazon’s own AI models.
The reporting outlet revealed that Amazon initially intended to use its in-house software for the revamped Alexa. However, early versions of the voice assistant struggled with responsiveness and sometimes took as much as “six or seven seconds to acknowledge a prompt and reply.”
Performance issues on this scale could have put Amazon’s revamped Alexa at a significant disadvantage, given how impressive present-day AI models are. To avoid falling behind, Amazon has seemingly turned to Anthropic’s Claude. It’s worth noting that Amazon owns a minority stake in Anthropic, and it’s not exactly uncommon for larger tech companies to turn to external partners to build their AI products. For instance, both Apple and Microsoft have partnered with OpenAI to use ChatGPT.
An Amazon spokeswoman responded to the reporting outlet, noting that:
Amazon uses many different technologies to power Alexa. When it comes to machine learning models, we start with those built by Amazon, but we have used, and will continue to use, a variety of different models – including (Amazon AI model) Titan and future Amazon models, as well as those from partners – to build the best experience for customers.
Reactions to “Remarkable” Alexa have been mixed, to say the least, even within Amazon. Employees have expressed concerns about whether customers would be willing to pay between $5 and $10 per month for an AI-powered voice assistant when that service can be obtained for free via Amazon’s own competitors in the AI race.
Amazon, however, appears to be banking on upgraded Alexa’s ability to offer personalized shopping advice, aggregate news stories, and provide new learning experiences for children. It will also likely serve as a new and improved home automation hub, remembering customers’ preferences and routines without any prompts.
While the new voice assistant is expected to roll out in October, we’re likely to see a preview of how it works during Amazon’s annual event, which is typically held in September. However, the reporting outlet noted that Amazon might delay the launch of Alexa if it doesn’t meet internal benchmarks. If everything goes according to plan and a new version of Alexa is launched this October, it could open up a rather substantial revenue stream for Amazon.