Amazon is expanding its artificial intelligence ambitions with the launch of a new Alexa Plus website, stepping up direct competition with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. Announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the web-based version of Alexa brings the company’s voice assistant beyond Echo devices and mobile apps to any browser.
The launch signals Amazon’s intent to reposition Alexa as a conversational AI platform rather than just a voice assistant. While ChatGPT and Gemini dominate the generative AI space with hundreds of millions of users, Amazon aims to leverage its vast Alexa ecosystem spanning over 600 million devices worldwide to close the gap. The company has historically struggled to monetize Alexa, but hopes the new platform can turn habitual voice interactions into deeper engagement and commerce opportunities.
Accessible to early access users who sign in with their Amazon accounts, Alexa Plus offers a familiar chat interface with added functionality. Users can manage smart home devices, shop on Amazon, check camera feeds, or control thermostats directly within conversations capabilities that set it apart from rival chatbots. “Seventy-six percent of what customers are using Alexa Plus for no other AI can do,” said Daniel Rausch, Vice President of Alexa and Echo. He cited use cases like interactive cooking assistance and family photo-based recipe suggestions as examples of “contextual intelligence” unique to Alexa Plus.
For Amazon Prime members, Alexa Plus will remain free, while non-members will pay $19.99 a month after early access ends. The company also refreshed its Alexa app with an “agent-forward” interface and unveiled supporting hardware, including the Ember Artline lifestyle television and an updated Fire TV interface.
