Scheduled for the end of 2024, Amazon’s new Alexa has been postponed. Technical problems and lack of vision are slowing down its launch, forcing Amazon to review its ambitions for its voice assistant.
Tl;dr
- Amazon’s new version of Alexa is delayed.
- Problems with large language models are causing the delay.
- Amazon’s overburdened management and lack of clear vision are also problematic.
Amazon’s new version of Alexa delayed
Amazon had planned to launch the update of Alexa, its voice assistant, at the end of 2024. However, the e-commerce giant had to push this date back to next year. According to Bloombergthe new version of Alexa remains stuck in the development phase, and Amazon has interrupted access to its beta phase, including its new “Let’s Chat” phase.
Problems with large language models
The problem appears to lie in the new Alexa’s Large Language Models (LLMs). Designed to understand more complex questions from users, Alexa is now found to be more likely to fail at some of the most basic tasks that the previous version accomplished easily, like creating a timer or controlling smart lights, according to a report monitoring of The Verge.
An initial launch planned for October
Amazon had originally planned to unveil its new version of Alexa in October, but the schedule was extended until next year. Instead, on October 17, the date initially scheduled for the presentation of the new Alexa, Amazon decided to show its new range of Kindle e-readers. In August, reports surfaced that the new Alexa would be powered by Anthropic’s Claude AI and would come with a monthly subscription fee.
A lack of clear vision for Alexa
Despite these challenges, some employees told Bloomberg that the problem beyond Alexa’s technical difficulties lies in Amazon’s overburdened management and the lack of a compelling vision for an AI-powered Alexa. So there is still a long way to go to resolve all these issues before the new version of Alexa launches.
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