Invitation for the upcoming Amazon event hints at a new AI-enhanced Alexa.

      John Higgins / Digital Trends

      This week, Amazon dispatched invitations to an upcoming event hosted by Amazon Senior Vice President Panos Panay and the Amazon Devices & Services team, scheduled for February 26 in New York City. The invite, which Digital Trends received, featured the recognizable Amazon swoop with “Hi there.” prominently displayed, along with the date at the bottom, all against a shaded blue backdrop that appeared to include some appealing curved design elements.

      While the design certainly evoked Amazon Alexa, there was little valuable information in the seemingly benign email. That was until The Verge conducted some impressive investigative work and revealed that there were not just one, but five email invitations sent out. The visually pleasing, curved backdrop was actually part of cursive text that, when combined from all five invitations, spelled out “alexa.” This serves as a strong indication of the Alexa theme.

      As reported by Reuters, the event is expected to unveil a new generative AI-enhanced version of Alexa, though specific features remain unclear. It is anticipated that the new service will be made available to a select group of users at no cost initially. However, there has been internal discussion within Amazon regarding a potential subscription fee of $5-10 for the new AI-powered Alexa. The existing version, known as Classic Alexa, will still be available for free, but reports suggest that development of new features for Classic Alexa has stopped.

      Amazon has notably lagged in integrating generative AI over the last couple of years, following an LLM announcement in 2023 that has yet to fully materialize. Given the prevalence of Amazon devices like the Echo speaker and Omni Fire TV in typical households, it is crucial for them to catch up. A key question surrounding this prospective new service is how it will differentiate itself from the array of generative AI models released in recent years.

      John Higgins is the Senior Editor of A/V at Digital Trends, directing the team in their coverage of various audio and video topics.

      The best Alexa skills to use on your Amazon Echo in 2023

      Alexa-enabled devices provide a convenient way to manage your smart home. Voice commands through Alexa can control security cameras, smart locks, video doorbells, and other devices, but the functionality can be enhanced with skills.

      Alexa skills are applications that can be installed on your device to extend its capabilities. Most of these skills are free, although some may require payment. They can offer everything from movie recommendations to launching interactive gaming experiences, making them a powerful means to enhance your smart speaker or display.

      At Amazon’s annual device event, AI was a prevalent theme.

      One of the key discussions leading up to Amazon’s Device and Services event—something noted in the media and even mentioned while waiting in line—was undoubtedly artificial intelligence. Would AI be integrated into Alexa and Amazon as a whole?

      Adding AI to Alexa represents the transformative upgrade we've all been anticipating.

      “Alexa, turn the kitchen to cooking mode," my wife casually instructs.

      “What do you mean by cooking mode?” her digital assistant probes.