Amazon is introducing a new feature that will allow users to change the personality of its AI assistant, Alexa+. On Wednesday, the company launched three new Alexa+ personality styles — Brief, Chill, and Sweet — that will change the AI assistant’s tone.
In the Brief style, Alexa will respond with shorter, direct responses, while the Chill style will see Alexa answer more like a laid-back friend. Enabling the Sweet style, meanwhile, will have Alexa become warmer and more enthusiastic, offering encouragement and positivity, says Amazon.
The idea of infusing an AI with a personality has been a complicated issue for model makers.
For some chatbot users, a flattering and affirming AI model, like OpenAI’s GPT-4o, led some users to develop an unhealthy dependency on the technology. In a few cases, it even exacerbated the user’s existing mental health issues, leading to crises or even suicides, multiple lawsuits have alleged.
Still, chatbot users have shown a preference for controlling how their AI responds, even writing custom instructions to dictate the AI’s personality. To address this need, OpenAI launched new ChatGPT features in December that allow users to adjust the AI’s base style and tone in terms of its warmth, enthusiasm and use of emoji, among other things. Despite this, some users are complaining that the latest model is too reassuring by default.
Amazon says its new styles for Alexa have been built on five dimensions that contribute to its personality: expressiveness, emotional openness, formality, directness, and humor. Each style represents specific levels of all five factors. For instance, Brief isn’t just concise, it’s also casual, direct, and uses minimal humor, the company says.
To change Alexa’s style, you can either speak to the AI assistant via a device, like an Echo speaker, or access the feature in the Alexa app’s Device Settings under “Personality Style.”
The company notes that these three styles are only the first to ship, and others will be on the way in the future.