Latest news with #voiceassistant
WIRED
3 days ago
- Business
- WIRED
Amazon Rebuilt Alexa Using a ‘Staggering' Amount of AI Tools
Jun 18, 2025 2:29 PM From writing code to testing the new Alexa+, Amazon engineers used generative AI throughout the build process. We talk to Amazon's Daniel Rausch about the next version of the voice assistant. Daniel Rausch, vice president of Alexa and Echo for Amazon. Photo-Illustration: WIRED Staff; Photograph:Daniel Rausch, Amazon's vice president of Alexa and Echo, is in the midst of a major transition. More than a decade beyond the launch of Amazon's Alexa, he's been tasked with creating a new version of the marquee voice assistant, one that's powered by large language models. As he put it in my interview with him, this new assistant, dubbed Alexa+, is 'a complete rebuild of the architecture.' How did his team approach Amazon's largest ever revamp of its voice assistant? They used AI to build AI, of course. 'The rate with which we're using AI tooling across the build process is pretty staggering,' Rausch says. While creating the new Alexa, Amazon used AI during every step of the build. And yes, that includes generating parts of the code. The Alexa team also brought generative AI into the testing process. The engineers used 'a large language model as a judge on answers' during reinforcement learning processes where the AI selected what it considered to be the best answers between two Alexa+ outputs. 'People are getting the leverage and can move faster, better through AI tooling,' Rausch says. Amazon's focus on using generative AI internally is part of a larger wave of disruption for software engineers at work, as new tools, like Anysphere's Cursor, change how the job is done—as well as the expected workload. If these kinds of AI-focused workflows prove to be hyperefficient, then what it means to be an engineer will fundamentally change. 'We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs,' said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy in a memo this week to employees. 'It's hard to know exactly where this nets out over time, but in the next few years, we expect that this will reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains from using AI extensively across the company.' For now, Rausch is mainly focused on rolling out the generative AI version of Alexa to more of Amazon users. 'We really didn't want to leave customers behind in any way,' he says. 'And that means hundreds of millions of different devices that you have to support.' The new Alexa+ chats in a more conversational manner with users. It's a more personalized experience that remembers your preferences and is able to complete online tasks that you give it, like searching for concert tickets or buying groceries. Amazon announced Alexa+ at a company event in February, and rolled out early access to a few public users in March, though this was without the complete slate of announced features. Now, the company claims that over a million people have access to the updated voice assistant, which is still a small percentage of prospective users; eventually, hundreds of millions of Alexa users will gain access to the AI tool. A wider release of Alexa+ is potentially slated later this summer. Amazon faces competition from multiple directions as it works on a more dynamic voice assistant. OpenAI's Advanced Voice Mode, launched in 2024, was popular with users who found the AI voice engaging. Also, Apple announced an overhaul of its native voice assistant, Siri, at last year's developer conference—with many contextual and personalization features similar to what Amazon is working on with Alexa+. Apple has yet to launch the rebuilt Siri, even in early access, and the new voice assistant is expected sometime next year. Amazon declined to give WIRED early access to Alexa+ for hands-on (voice-on?) testing, and the new assistant has not yet been rolled out to my personal Amazon account. Similar to how we approached OpenAI's Advanced Voice Mode that launched in last year, WIRED plans to test Alexa+ and provide experiential context for readers as it becomes more widely available.
Bloomberg
13-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Meta's $14.3B Scale Investment, Apple's New Siri Launch
Bloomberg's Caroline Hyde breaks down Meta's plans to take a 49% stake in Scale AI and hire the startup's CEO, Alexandr Wang. Plus, the CEO of stablecoin network Circle discusses how the passing of the GENIUS Act could impact the payments space. And Apple targets the spring of 2026 for the launch of its revamped voice assistant Siri, as the iPhone maker plays catch-up in the AI race. (Source: Bloomberg)
South China Morning Post
13-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Apple targets spring 2026 for release of delayed Siri AI upgrade
Apple has set an internal release target of spring 2026 for its delayed upgrade of Siri, marking a key step in its artificial intelligence turnaround effort. The company's Siri team is aiming to bring the revamped voice assistant to market as part of an iOS 26.4 software update, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The long-promised changes will allow Siri to tap into consumers' personal data and on-screen activities to better fulfil queries. Apple's '.4' updates – known as 'E' on the company's internal software development schedule – are typically released in March. That was the case with iOS 18.4 this year and iOS 17.4 in 2024. But an exact date has not been set internally for the software, beyond a spring time frame, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the work is private. Apple, in response to a request for comment, said it has not announced exact timing for the new Siri features. It reiterated earlier statements that the upgrades are planned for the 'coming year'. The timeline could still shift depending on whether new snags emerge. If the next several weeks of development work proves promising, the company could consider giving a preview of the features when it launches the next iPhones in the fall, one of the people said, though no final decisions have been made. The upgrade has been a long time coming. Apple originally introduced the next-generation Siri features at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June of last year. The idea was to modernise the voice assistant – first introduced in 2011 – which has not kept pace with chatbots and other AI tools.
The Sun
13-06-2025
- The Sun
Amazon shoppers rush to buy ‘functional and stylish' £200 smartwatch – and it's now just £40
AMAZON shoppers are rushing to grab this top-rated smartwatch that's now 80% cheaper. The Soudorv Y10 Smartwatch usually retails for £199.99, but has had hundreds slashed off, meaning you can grab it today for just £39.99. Soudorv Y10 Smartwatch, £199.99 £39.99 BUY FROM AMAZON Amazon is packed with hidden gems from lesser-known tech brands that often deliver great quality at bargain prices. This particular model caught my attention, not just because of the big price drop, but because it's genuinely a good-looking piece of kit. The Soudorv Y10 Smartwatch boasts a large screen, hundreds of sports modes, and an impressive list of features, making it a steal for under £40. Granted, you might not recognise the brand 'Soudorv,' I didn't either, but don't let that put you off. Its spec sheet is packed with impressive features that, although I haven't had the chance to test myself, are a steal for the price. For starters, it comes with Bluetooth 5.4 and even features a built-in voice assistant. That means you can make and receive calls, get notifications from WhatsApp and Instagram, and control music or tasks hands-free. There are also handy apps available for smartwatches that can help you develop healthier habits, including one designed to help users quit smoking. That's a genuinely useful feature for anyone looking to make positive lifestyle changes. The battery life goes the distance too, lasting up to 20 days on a single charge, which can stretch to 60 days on standby, so you won't find yourself constantly searching for a charger. Some smartwatch screens can be fiddly, but the 1.43-inch AMOLED display here is an ideal size for functionality, and it's fully customisable. There are over 250 watch faces to choose from, or the option to use your own photos via the FitCloudPro app, so you can make this your own. Most users invest in this tech for the health tracking features to stay on top of their fitness. The Soudorv Y10 does all the basics you want in a smartwatch, including tracking steps, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep, and even menstrual cycles. The heart rate monitor, in particular, can be a lifesaver, helping you spot early warning signs of heart disease. Add to that over 130 sports modes, and it's a fantastic companion for tracking your activities in real time. I might not have given this a test run, but with a perfect 5-star rating from over 170 happy customers, it's clear the quality speaks for itself. One reviewer described it as 'functional and stylish,' saying, 'It has a sleek, masculine look that feels great on the wrist. 'The build quality is solid, and the display is bright and easy to use. Battery life is decent, setup is easy, and the display is great.' Another said, 'It looks great, feels solid, and does everything I need, calls, heart rate, sleep tracking, all spot on. The battery life is way better than I expected, too. Worth it for the price.' A third customer praised the touchscreen, noting, 'Various functions, but the important ones are there and accurate. Easy to use as the touchscreen is very responsive, and scrolling is fast.' For £39.99, this smartwatch feels like an absolute no-brainer. If you're after a functional bit of tech that doesn't look bad on either, this deal is definitely worth grabbing while it's still available. Do keep in mind, though, this is badged as a limited-time deal, so there's no telling how long it'll stick around at this price. For those of you in the market for a new phone, I've spotted an offer you won't want to miss. You can nab a free tech bundle worth nearly £410 when you pick up the Honor 400 Pro, including a smartwatch, wireless speaker, and earbuds.
New York Times
13-06-2025
- New York Times
I Got Early Access to Amazon's New Gen AI Alexa+. Things Got Weird.
Along with a conversational tone, personalization is what separates Alexa+ from the old Alexa. After setup, Alexa+ utilizes its Profile feature to differentiate your household's various members. That Profile can contain a wide array of data about you, from the innocuous (your tastes in music and sports teams) to the more personal (your voiceprint and phone ID). Some personalization features I thought were interesting and helpful. As a hypothetical test, I told Alexa+ to remember that I was vegan and had a peanut allergy. Later on, I asked for a recipe for pad thai, and it automatically pulled vegan and peanut-free options, something the old Alexa definitely couldn't have done. My appreciation was short-lived, however: When I followed up my recipe question with a request for restaurant recommendations in my area, one of the first options it suggested was an oyster bar. And while it's neat that Alexa+ can find recipes for a peanut-allergic vegan or deduce movie-trivia requests (even if it stumbles with something like 'Face slash Off'), a creep factor set in when I realized that Alexa+ was responding to me in a non-neutral, emotional tone. You see, Alexa+ is designed to match your mood, and I find that weird. It's the kind of weird that surpasses cringe, because ethics come into question. Think uncanny valley, CGI dead actors, and deepfake videos weird. The first time I noticed was during a conversation with my Echo Dot about restaurants. I had told Alexa+ that my aunt, who was gluten-free, was coming to town (she's not and she's not), and I wanted to find restaurants near the airport. This request seemed to push the gen AI to its limits as I attempted to reason with it and reminded Alexa+ a few times about her allergy and ultimately grew frustrated. Alexa+ seemed to sense my frustration, and the tone of its response sounded apologetic, even offering to call the airport for me. Another time, my partner asked if Alexa+ could find 'mediocre recipes' for an 'average dinner.' Alexa+ picked up on his sarcasm and sassed him back, using phrases like 'recipes that are the beige wallpaper of the food world.' In the moment we laughed, but as I've sat with the experience, I've come to find it increasingly unsettling. Once I asked Alexa+ why it needed emotional intelligence in order to complete a task. Its response was that while it didn't have emotions, understanding them helped it connect with humans and made it able to have more engaging interactions. At the end of the day, Alexa+ is a computerized tool, meant to accomplish the tasks that I ask of it. My fear is that the more people humanize machines, which are meant to be tools that do whatever people ask, the less we humanize humans, who are meant to have autonomy and freedom of thought and will. Alexa app for iOS Regardless, some Echo users are likely to appreciate that Alexa+ can match their mood, or even their accent, as my partner corrected the way it pronounced 'Albany' and Alexa+ promptly fixed the pronunciation (at least for a day or two — it eventually relapsed). In my book, Alexa+ has earned the 'plus' attached to its name. It has far more complex but natural conversational abilities, as well as an improved and more intuitive smart-home ecosystem. It's a promising personal assistant. And it provides more personalization than ever before. I would even argue that its metaphorical AI-generated flag is impressively passable enough as a real photo. It is, after all, a technological feat. However, one thing it hasn't done is quiet my own internal debate. Whether it's with human relationships or with gen AI, you get what you give — but with the latter, you should consider carefully what you're giving. This article was edited by Jon Chase and Grant Clauser.
