I Saw a Live Demo of Alexa's Big New AI Update

Amazon's Alexa is going to be able to do more than just talk back and do basic commands after a big new update, Amazon announced Wednesday. Amazon unveiled the new generation of Alexa at an event in New York. The next generation of the assistant is powered by generative AI and promises a smarter, more conversational, approachable -- and most importantly, proactive -- virtual assistant. "She's smarter than she's ever been before, but she's also approachable," Amazon's Devices and Services Team Lead Panos Panay, said during the event. The new generation of Amazon Alexa, called Alexa Plus, can book dinner reservations, set reminders on your calendar, order and send gifts to loved ones and learn your routine and likes and dislikes over time to better serve you and those in your household, among other changes, Panay said. During a live demo, the new Alexa told Panay, "I'm not just an assistant, I'm your new best friend in the digital world. I've got jokes, smarts and a genuine desire to ... Read full article.