According to Reuters, the upgraded version of Alexa that Amazon plans to launch this year will be primarily powered by Anthropic’s Claude AI model. The report suggests that earlier versions of Amazon’s advanced, subscription-based voice assistant, which used the company’s proprietary AI, struggled with language and responding to user commands.
The UK’s competition regulators are currently investigating Amazon’s minority stake in Anthropic. Last year, Amazon invested $4 billion in the startup, promising early access to Anthropic’s AI technology for its customers.
Fortune reports that the development of the new Alexa technology, known as “Remarkable Alexa,” has faced numerous issues since its announcement last September. Mihail Eric, a former machine learning scientist for Alexa AI, noted on X that both technical and bureaucratic problems have plagued the division. Meanwhile, Amazon’s current, albeit outdated, market-leading voice assistant is encountering increasing competition from rivals such as OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode for ChatGPT, Google Gemini’s voice chat feature, and Siri’s upcoming Apple Intelligence update.
The new Alexa, based on Claude, is reported to outperform the previous version that relied on Amazon’s in-house AI models.
“Amazon employs a range of technologies to power Alexa,” the company told Reuters. “While we initially use our machine learning models, we also utilize various models — including Amazon’s Titan and future models, as well as those from our partners — to create the best experience for our customers.”
After several delays, Remarkable Alexa is now expected to launch in mid-October. According to a recent report from The Washington Post, anticipated features include daily AI-generated news summaries, a child-friendly chatbot, and conversational shopping tools. Reuters reported in June that Amazon is considering a $5 to $10 monthly subscription for the new Alexa to ensure profitability while continuing to offer the existing “Classic Alexa” as a free service.
Reuters also notes that a demonstration of the new Alexa is set to be presented at Amazon’s annual devices and services event, typically held in September.
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