24 hours with Alexa Plus: we cooked, we chatted, and it kinda lied to me – The Verge

🔍 Summary:

Amazon has introduced a new version of its voice assistant, Alexa Plus, which is powered by generative AI, making it more conversational and human-like. After a two-year wait since its announcement in 2023, the reviewer finally tested Alexa Plus and found it significantly improved. The assistant now handles complex and interrupted speech patterns effectively, adapting to mid-sentence changes and providing more relevant responses.

During the first 24 hours with Alexa Plus, the reviewer noted its enhanced ability to assist with daily tasks like cooking, where it could dynamically provide recipe steps and respond to specific questions about the cooking process. However, there were some glitches, such as occasionally forgetting tasks or providing incorrect information, like the wrong amount for sour cream in a recipe.

The integration of Alexa Plus with smart home routines also showed promise but had some inconsistencies. For example, it initially failed to execute a pre-set coffee-making routine, though it succeeded when the command was rephrased. The assistant also demonstrated improved capabilities in creating and managing new smart home routines by voice command.

Despite these advancements, there were challenges in merging the old command-based functions with the new AI’s conversational capabilities, leading to some user frustration. Additionally, the reviewer expressed concerns about the potential for misinformation, as the AI provided incorrect ticket prices for an event, highlighting the impact of receiving false information from a trusted home device.

Overall, while Alexa Plus shows significant improvements and potential for making everyday interactions and tasks easier, there are still areas that need refinement, particularly in reliability and the integration of smart home controls. The reviewer plans to continue testing Alexa Plus, particularly its more advanced features, to provide a more comprehensive evaluation.

📌 Source: https://www.theverge.com/hands-on/705808/amazon-alexa-plus-first-look