Amazon plans advanced version of Alexa with new capabilities

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced plans for a more advanced version of Alexa, described as "agentic," during the company's Q3 2024 earnings call. This new assistant aims to perform tasks on behalf of users, beyond just answering questions. Jassy mentioned that Amazon is updating Alexa's technology with new foundation models. The company is transitioning from its own models to those developed by Anthropic, a major investor in Amazon, due to previous technical issues. The upgraded Alexa, known internally as "Remarkable Alexa," is expected to cost between $5 and $10 per month, with a free version available. Although initially anticipated for October, its release has been delayed.