By
Bena Ilyas
May 13th, 2024
Despite seeing massive success, the rise of AI-powered chatbots has exposed the limitations of digital assistants such as Alexa.
Amazon’s Alexa head Rohit Prasad has made some bold claims about his company and its position in the ongoing generative artificial intelligence (AI) boom. This follows after OpenAI’s ChatGPT went viral late last year, birthing a new generation of chatbots.
As chatbots are gradually taking over the tech world, giants in the space such as Google and Microsoft have also entered into an unspoken competition as they bid to maximize the technology. However, according to Prasad, there seems to be a general thought that Amazon may have missed out on the generative AI trend. That is considering that generative AI is believed to allow people to convert text-based prompts into creative answers.
Prasad, however, claims that such thoughts are misguided and are certainly untrue. Speaking in an interview with CNBC, he said partly:
“Alexa has been and is at the forefront of AI for a long time.”
Furthermore, Prasad attempted to explain the difference between Alexa and ChatGPT. He says while ChatGPT can be accessed via a web browser, Alexa is an “instantly available, personal AI” that people can speak to.
Amazon Admits Alexa May Need Improvement
For what it’s worth, Amazon is a pioneer of the voice software business. The firm established its early bird position in the space when it launched its Alexa digital assistant in 2014. And according to a recent announcement by the company, it has sold over 500 million Alexa-powered devices to date.
But despite this success, the rise of AI-powered chatbots has exposed the limitations of digital assistants such as Alexa. Chatbots are known to perform more complex functions like coding software and writing an entire book. Amazon needs to improve its Alexa if it is to keep up in the AI business.
To this end, Prasad confirms that Amazon is currently working on making Alexa more conversational and intelligent. Prasad believes that a new version of its own large language model (LLM), called Alexa Teacher Model, will help the company achieve this goal.
It might be worth mentioning that LLMs power generative AI. Therefore, it is safe to say that Amazon is keen on maintaining its relevance in the fast-growing world of AI.