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Amazon’s New Alexa to Use Claude AI, Outperforms In-House Models

Author

Alicia Shapiro
August 30, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

An image showing Amazon’s Alexa device with a visual representation of AI, featuring the Claude AI logo prominently displayed. The background includes abstract elements representing voice assistant technology, with subtle nods to the integration of AI and the upcoming changes. The image suggests a futuristic, advanced Alexa experience powered by Claude AI, hinting at the enhanced capabilities and features of the new version

Image Source: ChatGPT-4o

Amazon’s New Alexa to Use Claude AI, Outperforms In-House Models

Amazon is set to release an improved version of its Alexa voice assistant, powered primarily by Anthropic’s Claude AI model. This decision follows reports that Amazon’s own in-house generative AI models were underperforming by comparison.

Challenges with Amazon's In-House AI

According to Reuters, initial versions of the smarter, subscription-based Alexa that used Amazon’s AI struggled with understanding words and responding effectively to user prompts. These issues prompted Amazon to integrate Claude AI into the new Alexa system, which has reportedly shown better performance than Amazon’s in-house models.

Amazon’s Investment in Anthropic and Regulatory Scrutiny

Amazon’s decision to use Claude AI comes after the company’s $4 billion investment in Anthropic last year. This partnership promised Amazon customers early access to Anthropic’s AI technology. However, the investment is currently under investigation by UK competition regulators, raising concerns over the implications of such partnerships in the AI industry.

Development Hurdles and Competition

The development of the new Alexa, dubbed “Remarkable Alexa,” has faced numerous challenges since its announcement last September. Former Amazon Alexa AI scientist Mihail Eric described the division as being plagued by technical and bureaucratic issues. Meanwhile, the current Alexa faces growing competition from other voice assistants like OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode for ChatGPT, Google Gemini’s voice chat mode, and the upcoming Siri update with Apple Intelligence.

Expected Features and Subscription Model

The new Claude-powered Alexa is expected to include features such as AI-generated daily news summaries, a child-focused chatbot, and conversational shopping tools. However, the release of Remarkable Alexa has been delayed, with reports suggesting it will arrive sometime in mid-October. Amazon may also introduce a subscription model for the new Alexa, charging between $5 to $10 per month, while keeping the existing “Classic Alexa” free to use.

Upcoming Demo and Release

Amazon is expected to present a demo of the new Alexa during its annual devices and services event, which is typically held in September. This event will likely showcase the capabilities of the Claude-powered Alexa and provide further details on its features and release timeline.