The Washington Post’s Caroline O’Donovan has just reported that Amazon is planning to sell a paid subscription for an artificial intelligence-revamped version of Alexa that could cost as much as US$ 10 a month.
Among features of the subscription Alexa, expected in October, are recipe suggestions based on your family’s dietary restrictions and AI summaries of the news. Caroline reported that you’ll still be able to use the current version of Alexa without a subscription fee.
The company already offers Amazon Prime and other subscriptions. And most people buy an Echo speaker or another Amazon device to access Alexa.
Still, a paid version of Alexa would be a milestone. The company has not directly charged money for its digital assistant in Alexa’s 10-year history.
Paid Alexa would be another example of a subscription fee for technology features or products - some of which you’ve previously gotten for no additional charge.
Dating apps, social media services and even printer ink and kitchen gadget apps are pushing subscriptions. Google is among the companies that charge extra for more digital storage for your phone. And technology analysts have suggested that Apple and Samsung might, like Amazon, charge a subscription for some AI features.
According to surveys conducted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, roughly two-thirds of Americans who own an Alexa-powered device use it at least a few times a week for listening to music and asking straightforward questions like checking the weather forecast.
The research group says a majority of people never use Alexa for more complex things like turning on the lights at your command or shopping on Amazon.
After a decade of mostly using the voice assistants to fire off a quick text, check the weather or play music, it’s untested whether people want AI versions for more complicated interactions. Maybe our habits with digital assistants suggest that you like limited-purpose technology to just do the basics.
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