Amazon Set to Unveil AI-Powered, Next-Gen Alexa at February Event

Amazon is set to host an event on February 26, which could mark the debut of a long-awaited upgrade to Alexa. The company has been hinting at a more advanced version of its voice assistant for over a year.

Unlike Amazon’s usual fall events that showcase new Echo devices before the holiday season, this gathering in New York City appears to emphasize software. The event will be led by SVP Panos Panay, a former Microsoft executive, alongside the Amazon Devices & Services team.

The invitation keeps details under wraps, featuring Amazon’s signature smile logo, the phrase “You’re invited,” and the event date. The background displays a looping script in a shade of blue that resembles Alexa’s glow. Notably, The Verge discovered that Amazon sent out five variations of the invite, each showing different portions of the script. When pieced together, they spell out “Alexa.”

Amazon initially previewed a more advanced, AI-powered Alexa at its 2023 fall event, with plans for a 2024 release. However, reports suggested the launch was delayed until 2025. Now, Reuters claims the new Alexa is ready to roll out, featuring improved conversational abilities, the ability to respond to multiple prompts in sequence, and autonomous actions on behalf of users.

This version of Alexa is expected to remember user preferences, offer personalized recommendations for music and dining, and function more independently. To achieve these capabilities, Amazon may integrate Anthropic’s AI models into its system.