Amazon announced on Monday that more than a million people now have access to its generative AI-powered upgrade, Alexa+, through a steady rollout of invitations. Originally unveiled in February, the company has been slowly moving through its extensive waitlist, giving early access to users who initially signed up to trial the improved virtual assistant.
During this Early Access stage, Alexa+ is available free of charge. Following its full public launch, the service will remain free to Amazon Prime subscribers, while non-Prime customers can access it for $19.99 per month.
In recent weeks, individuals receiving invitations have begun sharing experiences online, describing Alexa+ as boasting significantly more natural and personalized interactions compared to its predecessor. With enhanced generative AI capabilities, Alexa+ revitalizes Amazon’s flagship digital assistant, combining intuitive speech recognition with deeper integration into smart-home systems and significantly broader functionality.
Amazon’s strategy with Alexa+ addresses prior criticism of its original Alexa assistant, which fell behind when competing against modern generative AI technologies like ChatGPT. Alexa had begun to appear dated and less powerful by comparison, contributing to Amazon’s inability to fully capitalize financially on the market it pioneered with Echo smart-home devices.
Alexa+ not only handles common tasks with conversational ease, but can also manage more nuanced requests. Users can instruct the assistant casually—such as simply saying, “It’s too cold in here,” to prompt a thermostat adjustment. In addition, Alexa+ can streamline routine setups, navigate footage from Ring cameras, display adaptive conversation capabilities, and even identify personal preferences—remembering frequently played songs, recipes, and routines.
Beyond basic assistance, Alexa+ introduces features comparable to advanced AI chatbots. It can summarize lengthy emails, craft custom bedtime stories, build quizzes from study material, and create detailed travel itineraries. The service integrates with popular apps and websites, allowing users to book dinner reservations, purchase concert tickets, order food, and receive alerts for price drops on desired items. Initial partnerships supporting these actions include OpenTable, Ticketmaster, Uber Eats, Tripadvisor, Grubhub, Yelp, Priceline, Viator, Thumbtack, Atom, and Fodor’s, among others.
Early reactions from invited users have been mixed. Some enthusiastic reactions indicate that the new Alexa assistant surpasses competitors, such as Apple’s Siri. Yet others highlight areas still needing improvement, agreeing with some early reviews that the technology remains slightly unpolished at this initial phase.
Currently, Alexa+ early access is available exclusively on Echo Show 8, 10, 15, or 21 devices within the United States. Amazon plans to expand access to a wider range of Echo customers, along with Fire TV and Fire tablet users, as the program develops further.
