Amazon says Alexa AI can now talk to you ’like a human’ with new Let’s Chat feature

Amazon has now added generative AI capabilites to Alexa in a bid to keep the software relevant in the age of coversational chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard. The company demonstrated the new AI capabilities in Alexa during an event on Wednesday at its campus in Arlington Virginia. 

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At the event, Amazon showcased the new Let's Chat feature which can help the software handle a back-and-forth conversation with the users.

According to a Bloomberg report, Amazon is trying to show that Alexa can compete with chatbots by Google and OpenAI that have shown incredible ability to hold human-like conversations. Released almost a decade ago, Alexa has been used by users for tasks like playing music or summoning trivia but has often come up short when asked to do more complicated tasks. 

While speaking at the event Limp noted, “You can now have near human-like interactions with Alexa,”

“Our latest model has been specifically optimized for voice and the things we know our customers love — like having access to real-time information, efficiently controlling their smart home, and getting the most out of their home entertainment,” Amazon's SVP of devices and services Dave Limp was quoted as saying by TechCrunch.

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Limp noted that the new capabilities will help Alexa deliver ‘unique experiences’ based on the preferences of users and the services they have interacted with. He noted that the new model will help users with tasks like setting personal reminders, helping with recently played music and even come up with recipe recommendations based on the grocery purchases of users.