Jake and Spike: Do we really need Amazon’s new AI-powered Alexa+?

Amazon announced a new version of Alexa this week, enhanced with generative AI. It promises to give the voice assistant more personality, the ability to gauge a user’s tone and even plan romantic dates.

Unlike the previous version, which was free on any Alexa-enabled device, the updated Alexa, now called “Alexa+,” will require a monthly subscription fee of $19.99. However, Prime members, who already pay for a subscription that includes free delivery and other benefits, will have access to Alexa+ at no additional cost.

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Jake and Spike approach smart devices very differently

Spike O’Neill, co-host of “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio, said that he is a “sworn opponent” of smart listening devices.

“I know they’re coming, but I call them ‘spies,'” he said. “They are true, unwelcome, unwanted intrusions, uninvited intrusions into my world.”

Co-host Jake Skorheim said Alexa may be trying to become a companion.

“I know that Alexa has a ton of amazing capabilities, but in my house, it’s been relegated to a timer I use when I send my kids to time-out,” he said. “I find I’m also constantly having to tell my kids to stop talking to Alexa. They have an app on the device that allows you to hear fart noises. I think it’s actually called, fart noises. My kids are enamored with this specific capability for obvious reasons. I am not so happy about it. Overall, it is nice to be able to quickly ask for the forecast.”

Amazon Alexa needs boundaries

Spike believes boundaries should be put in place with systems like AI.

“I don’t think there’s any way to stop or even slow the advancing inclusion, or intrusion of digitalization into our lives, and if we don’t actively try to put limits on that encroachment it will grow beyond our control,” he said. “I hope my position is more than just an ‘old guy’ longing for a simpler time, and someone who honestly sees that potential loss of self-control and privacy we willingly surrender for greater convenience. People who are living alone, you know elders, seniors, elders, can be helped by these devices.”

Jake said Alexa has a button that shuts off the camera, but Spike said he doesn’t trust that.

“I can tell it to be silent,” he said. “I can get a little button to make it silent. It’s got to still be listening to me.”

Benefits of Amazon Alexa+

During a media event in New York City, Amazon executives showcased the new features of the ten-year-old digital assistant, aiming to increase sales and user interaction with Alexa-enabled devices.

According to the company, Alexa+ can engage in more natural, human-like conversations and learn more about users, such as their dietary preferences or allergies, the more it is used.

“I’m not just an assistant, I’m your new best friend in the digital world,” Alexa+ stated during an onstage demonstration.

At the event, Panos Panay, Amazon’s senior vice president of devices & services, highlighted other new capabilities of the voice assistant, including creating study plans, texting a babysitter, and calling an Uber for a friend. Additionally, Alexa can now retrieve videos from Ring cameras, such as checking if a user’s dog was walked, and remember handwritten recipes, emails and other shared documents.

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‘Smarter than ever before’

“She’s smarter than she’s ever been before, but she’s also approachable,” Panay remarked.

Alexa is integrated into products like smart speakers, Amazon’s Fire TVs, and earbuds. The Seattle-based tech giant launched its popular voice assistant in 2014 alongside its first Echo device, which responds to voice commands.

Amazon plans to launch “early access” for Alexa+ in the U.S. next month, initially available only in English and starting with users who own or purchase the latest Echo Show devices, which display Alexa responses on screen. Eligible users who opt in will see Alexa+ functioning across compatible devices, as well as on their web browser and app. The company intends to roll out the update internationally and to more devices in phases. Some new features are designed specifically for products with screens.

Alexa+ will not be available on certain older Echo models, but Amazon says that owners of those devices can continue using the original assistant.

Contributing: The Associated Press; Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest

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