Although Amazon is set to unveil its AI upgrades to Alexa at an event on February 26, the Washington Post reports the actual update might not arrive for at least a month after. An anonymous Amazon employee shared the information with the Washington Post, stating that the new version of Alexa wouldn’t arrive until March 31.
The publication further confirmed that Amazon had originally planned to launch the new version of its smart assistant this month, but delayed the launch to address repeated “incorrect answers” given to test questions.
The delay has raised questions among investors. The huge amount of capital needed for AI technology makes it a risky investment, and it can be difficult for a company to turn a profit on AI technology. However, Amazon hopes an improved version of Alexa would drive more sales of Echo devices and other smart gadgets that utilize the assistant. The idea is that most Alexa functions would remain free to use, but the advanced version would only be accessible to subscribers.
The more advanced version of Alexa could have the potential to develop a personality of its own and recall previous conversations. It could also perform advanced tasks, like order takeout for you (perfect for those who hate making phone calls) or order a taxi. These obstacles aren’t wholly unexpected; other companies have also struggled with AI providing incorrect answers, with Apple’s Notification Summaries drawing a lot of attention after numerous users received disturbing interpretations of text messages and news reports.
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An upgraded, more powerful version of Alexa would be helpful in the smart home space, but these delays show that there is still a long way to go before the technology can be freely implemented.