Amazon is stepping up its game in the smart home space, introducing a new, more intelligent Alexa voice assistant powered by AI. For radio stations and developers of radio streaming apps, this could offer more intuitive voice commands for streaming.
According to Amazon’s SVP of Devices and Services, Dave Limp, the revamped Alexa will be powered by a large language model, significantly improving its conversational capabilities, context understanding, and multi-command processing.
The advancements in Alexa’s conversational abilities could provide listeners with a seamless, hands-free listening experience. For example, the ability to understand context could allow users to simply say, “Alexa, play my morning news,” and the assistant would know which radio station or streaming service to access.
Additionally, the new developer program allows third-party integrations to tap into Alexa’s enhanced abilities, potentially opening up more personalized and efficient voice-activated features for radio apps. Amazon is introducing two new tools, Dynamic Controller and Action Controller, allowing for more customized voice commands that integrate seamlessly with third-party devices and services.
While the features promise a transformative smart home experience, they will be initially rolled out in the US as part of a preview program. And although Alexa’s current features will remain free, Amazon may introduce a fee for the advanced features in the future.
