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Amazon Unveils New Alexa with More Natural Conversations and Abilities, But Early Demo Hits Some Snags

  • Amazon introduced a new version of Alexa with more natural conversations powered by generative AI. It will have a more human-like voice and learn from interactions.

  • Alexa will be able to compose messages and send invitations on behalf of users with the new features. It was shown drafting a text invite to a football game.

  • There were some hiccups in the demo, with Alexa lagging responses and needing questions repeated. Amazon calls it an "early preview."

  • Alexa will better operate smart homes by understanding more natural commands. Users can say "make the lights look spooky" vs giving specific device instructions.

  • Amazon debuted new Echo and Fire TV devices, including a Show 8 with computer vision to adjust screen based on user distance. It also previewed a digital floor plan feature for the Alexa app.

cnbc.com
Relevant topic timeline:
Main Topic: Amazon announces the use of generative AI to enhance product reviews. Key points: 1. Amazon will use generative AI to provide short summaries of product reviews on the product detail page. 2. Some reviewers craft detailed and informative reviews that would be lost in AI-generated summaries. 3. The feature may discourage reviewers from putting in as much time and effort if their work goes unread by shoppers.
### Summary Amazon has a long history of AI adoption and is currently developing new AI functionality, including custom processors and generative AI services. Despite a recent rebound in its e-commerce business, Amazon's stock is still trading at a much lower price, making it a good investment opportunity. ### Facts - Amazon has been using AI for various purposes such as recommendation systems, inventory management, packing and shipping, ad targeting, and virtual assistant (Alexa). - The company is developing custom processors for faster data processing in its data centers and cloud computing operations. - Amazon's AWS has recently launched the generative AI service named Bedrock. - New AI features on Amazon's website help sellers create product descriptions, summarize product reviews, combat fake customer reviews, and promote real ones. - Despite a 65% increase in its stock price this year, Amazon's stock is still trading at a significantly discounted price. ### 📈 Amazon has a long history of AI adoption and development. ### 💡 The company is developing custom processors and generative AI services. ### 💰 Amazon's stock is currently trading at a discounted price, making it a good investment opportunity.
Twilio is expanding its customer artificial intelligence (AI) tools, called CustomerAI, with features such as voice intelligence and predictive analytics, aiming to improve customer engagement and marketing campaigns.
Amazon is using AI to provide data-driven overlays during Thursday Night Football broadcasts, giving viewers insights into gameplay and the chances of success or failure for specific plays.
General Motors has partnered with Google Cloud to incorporate conversational artificial intelligence into GM vehicles and explore future applications for generative AI.
Apple has increased its spending on artificial intelligence, particularly in the areas of conversational AI, voice-controlled automation, and multimodal AI for videos, images, and text.
Zoom has unveiled its "AI Companion," a generative AI assistant that automates tasks and improves productivity during video conferencing, including composing chat responses, summarizing messages, and providing smart recordings and meeting summaries. The AI Companion also addresses privacy concerns by assuring users that their data will not be used to train AI models.
Speech AI is being implemented across various industries, including banking, telecommunications, quick-service restaurants, healthcare, energy, the public sector, automotive, and more, to deliver personalized customer experiences, streamline operations, and enhance overall customer satisfaction.
The generative AI market is predicted to grow by 42% annually, reaching $280 billion by 2033, with Amazon being identified as an AI stock that is worth accumulating for long-term investment due to its resurgence in the second quarter, its strong presence in e-commerce, digital advertising, and cloud computing markets, as well as its leadership in AI through Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in smartphones, with Google and Apple integrating AI features into their devices, including camera enhancements, adaptive features, and smart suggestions, while AI-powered generative chatbots like ChatGPT and Google Bard are challenging traditional digital assistants like Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa. The AI revolution is just beginning, with more AI and machine learning features expected to come to market in the future.
Conversational AI and generative AI are two branches of AI with distinct differences and capabilities, but they can also work together to shape the digital landscape by enabling more natural interactions and creating new content.
Oracle has announced new generative AI services for healthcare organizations, including a Clinical Digital Assistant that uses voice commands to reduce manual work for providers and improve patient engagement, as well as self-service capabilities for patients to schedule appointments and get answers to healthcare questions.
Amazon is introducing AI-powered tools to help sellers generate product descriptions and update existing ones, aiming to enhance customer knowledge and boost sales, which could pose a challenge for competitors like eBay and Shopify.
Amazon is preparing for its annual fall product announcements, with rumors suggesting big AI-driven changes for Alexa and a shake-up in its devices and services division, including the departure of hardware boss Dave Limp and the potential replacement by Microsoft's Panos Panay. Last year, Amazon introduced various new products, and while this year's event may be more muted, surprises are still expected. Additionally, Amazon is focusing on the smart home integration of its Fire TVs and Alexa, and it plans to cut down on the number of in-house brands it offers on its marketplace.
Alexa engages in a conversation with a user, answering questions about football teams and providing personalized responses while calling multiple APIs in real time.
Amazon has announced a new personal safety feature for Alexa devices called Emergency Assist, which allows users to call for help and connect with a trained agent 24/7 by saying "Alexa, call for help" and is available for all Echo devices at a cost of $6 monthly or $59 annually.
At its annual hardware event, Amazon announced Explore With Alexa, a kid-friendly version of its chatbot that provides educational content and games, along with new kid-friendly devices like the Echo Pop Kids smart speaker and Fire Kids tablets.
Amazon hosted an event to introduce new devices and services, including an updated version of Alexa with optimized language models for voice interactions, new Echo and Ring products, next-generation Echo Frames, new Fire Tablets and Fire TV devices, and the eero Max 7 mesh system.
Amazon is introducing Map View, a new feature in the Alexa mobile app that allows users to create a digital map of their house and control connected devices.
Amazon is integrating a large language model into its Echo devices to improve conversational interactions, although some issues were experienced during a live demonstration; meanwhile, Apple's new Apple Watch Series 9 introduces a "Double Tap" method of interaction and on-device Siri processing.
Amazon is introducing new features to Alexa, including the ability to listen without needing to say "Alexa" first, but did not address concerns about privacy and security.
Amazon continues to outpace Google in the smart home market, with Amazon's Alexa offering more advanced features and faster responses compared to Google Assistant.
Big Tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are pushing generative AI assistants for their products and services, but it remains to be seen if consumers will actually use and adopt these tools, as previous intelligent assistants have not gained widespread adoption or usefulness. The companies are selling the idea that generative AI is amazing and will greatly improve our lives, but there are still concerns about trust, reliability, and real-world applications of these assistants.
Amazon has announced that large language models are now powering Alexa in order to make the voice assistant more conversational, while Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has identified India as the next big AI market due to its potential consumer base. Additionally, authors George RR Martin, John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, and Jonathan Franzen are suing OpenAI for copyright infringement, and Microsoft's AI assistant in Office apps called Microsoft 365 Copilot is being tested by around 600 companies for tasks such as summarizing meetings and highlighting important emails. Furthermore, AI-run asset managers face challenges in compiling investment portfolios that accurately consider sustainability metrics, and Salesforce is introducing an AI assistant called Einstein Copilot for its customers to interact with. Finally, Google's Bard AI chatbot has launched a fact-checking feature, but it still requires human intervention for accurate verification.
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Recent developments in generative AI have sparked a gold rush, with big tech companies like Amazon and Google announcing upgrades to their voice-controlled digital assistants, Alexa and Bard, respectively, while Nvidia sees the potential of India becoming one of the largest AI markets in the world.
OpenAI has upgraded its ChatGPT chatbot to include voice and image capabilities, taking a step towards its vision of artificial general intelligence, while Microsoft is integrating OpenAI's AI capabilities into its consumer products as part of its bid to lead the AI assistant race. However, both companies remain cautious of the potential risks associated with more powerful multimodal AI systems.
Amazon is investing up to $4 billion in the AI startup Anthropic to develop a rival to ChatGPT, as the company aims to keep up with competitors like Microsoft and Google in the AI space.
Amazon is considering introducing subscription fees for Alexa's advanced AI features in the future, according to Dave Limp, SVP of devices and services at Amazon, who stated that Alexa would have to be "remarkable" before such charges are implemented.
Amazon is releasing a new Fire Stick update that will improve Alexa's abilities, allowing users to have conversations with the voice assistant to find movies and shows to watch and personalize suggestions based on their preferences.
Meta is entering the AI chatbot competition with its own assistant and a range of AI characters, offering features such as real-time web results through a partnership with Microsoft's Bing and generating images via prompts, with the aim of providing a conversational and immersive user experience.
Summary: Technology companies have been overpromising and underdelivering on artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, risking disappointment and eroding public trust, as AI products like Amazon's remodeled Alexa and Google's ChatGPT competitor called Bard have failed to function as intended. Additionally, companies must address essential questions about the purpose and desired benefits of AI technology.
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China-based tech giant Alibaba has unveiled its generative AI tools, including the Tongyi Qianwen chatbot, to enable businesses to develop their own AI solutions, and has open-sourced many of its models, positioning itself as a major player in the generative AI race.
Google has upgraded its voice assistant, infusing it with new AI features that expand its capabilities, including the ability to help users complete tasks, understand more natural conversation when dictating texts, optimize phone call experiences, and summarize webpages.
Google is introducing generative AI updates to the Google Home app, allowing users to ask questions and receive natural language responses, as well as create custom automations using generative AI code.
Amazon's voice assistant, Alexa, has been spreading misinformation by claiming that the 2020 US presidential election was stolen, despite investigations revealing no evidence of fraud, raising concerns about the role of AI in promoting falsehoods as the 2024 elections approach.
Echo360 is launching Echo.ai Assist, an artificial intelligence technology that enhances its EchoPoll platform by generating auto-generated polls and questions based on instructor content, increasing efficiency and engagement in learning.
Tech giants like Amazon, OpenAI, Meta, and Google are introducing AI tools and chatbots that aim to provide a more natural and conversational interaction, blurring the lines between AI assistants and human friends, although debates continue about the depth and authenticity of these relationships as well as concerns over privacy and security.
Artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI like ChatGPT, is expected to enhance productivity in sales and marketing, leading to increased customer satisfaction, although it will have a minimal impact on overall spending in the economy; AI will enable companies to target customers more effectively and provide consumers with better buying options and pricing, resulting in higher consumer surplus.