Amazon to launch new Alexa assistant powered by Anthropic's Claude AI chatbot

Amazon is preparing to launch a new version of its voice assistant, Amazon Alexa, powered by Anthropic’s Claude AI. This advanced model, comparable to OpenAI’s GPT-4, aims to surpass previous Alexa iterations that relied on Amazon’s in-house AI. Alexa has used various AI models, including Amazon's proprietary Titan, but faced challenges such as poor word recognition and inaccurate responses, leading to the shift to Claude AI.

Amazon's $4 billion investment in Anthropic last year has provided early access to Claude and other AI technologies, and its models are also integrated into Amazon Web Services (AWS). The new Alexa, dubbed "Remarkable Alexa," will feature AI-generated daily news summaries, a child-friendly chatbot, and conversational shopping tools. However, the development of this new version has faced several hurdles since its announcement last September, causing delays, but a mid-October release is anticipated.

Additionally, Amazon is reportedly considering a subscription model for the new Alexa, potentially priced between $5 and $10 per month, while keeping the current "Classic Alexa" as a free service.