Amazon has unveiled Alexa Plus, a completely redesigned version of its virtual assistant powered by generative artificial intelligence, marking the company's most ambitious update to the platform since its 2014 debut.
The new assistant, officially launched in February 2025, represents Amazon's strategic response to the evolving AI landscape dominated by conversational models like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini. Alexa Plus incorporates sophisticated natural language processing capabilities that enable more fluid, context-aware interactions without requiring users to repeat wake words or precisely phrase commands.
"Alexa+ is our next-generation AI assistant that gets things done—it solves daily problems, keeps you entertained, helps you stay connected, and can converse about virtually any topic," said Amazon in its official announcement. The system is built on Amazon Bedrock's large language models, including both Amazon's own Nova models and those from partners like Anthropic.
A key innovation in Alexa Plus is what Amazon calls "experts"—specialized systems that work together to handle specific tasks. These enable the assistant to orchestrate actions across thousands of services and devices, from controlling smart home products to booking reservations through OpenTable or ordering food delivery via Grubhub.
The rollout of Alexa Plus has faced some challenges. As of May 2025, Amazon reported approximately 100,000 users had gained access through its early access program, primarily on Echo Show devices. However, Reuters investigations found few verifiable public reviews, with sources indicating the service occasionally struggles with response speed and accuracy—common issues with generative AI models.
Alexa Plus represents a significant business shift for Amazon as well. While the original Alexa was free, the new version costs $19.99 monthly for non-Prime members, potentially helping offset the historically unprofitable devices division. Prime members receive Alexa Plus as a free benefit, which could drive further Prime subscriptions.
As the voice assistant competition intensifies, with Apple enhancing Siri through its Apple Intelligence initiative and Google transitioning from Assistant to Gemini, Amazon's advantage lies in its established ecosystem of over 600 million Alexa-enabled devices already in homes, offices, and cars worldwide.