Amazon's Alexa+ AI Assistant Arrives on Alexa.com to Take On ChatGPT, Gemini

Amazon is bringing its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered version of its Alexa assistant, Alexa+, to the web. On Monday, the Seattle-based tech giant announced that Alexa+, which was previously available only via the company's Echo and Fire TV devices, and the redesigned Alexa app, will now also be accessible on the browser. A new web address will let users visit the assistant even when they are away from any compatible device or their smartphone. The web version comes with all the existing features, such as memory, context, and personalisation.

Alexa+ Comes to the Web

In a newsroom post, the tech giant announced the launch of Alexa.com, the newest home for the AI-powered Alexa+ assistant. The website is a web client for the chatbot, similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's Gemini. The latest expansion will now let users access and stay connected to the assistant on more devices.

Explaining this reasoning, Amazon says, “To truly serve as a personal assistant, Alexa+ needs to be available wherever they are—at home, on their phone, and now on the web.” Notably, the website is only available to those users who received early access to the assistant. These are US residents who own a compatible Echo or Fire TV device, or have an active Amazon Prime subscription.

Eligible users can visit the website to get quick answers, explore complex topics, create content, plan their trips and get itineraries, get help with homework, and more. Additionally, the chatbot comes with some agentic capabilities and can update calendar events, control the connected smart home appliances, make reservations, and more. Since the chatbot comes with memory of previous chats, it also brings persistent context and continuity, meaning users can move from Echo or the app to the browser without losing any information.

Amazon also shared a few use cases where Alexa+ can be handy. It can help users with meal prep by generating recipes for the entire week while keeping in mind any user preferences. Additionally, if the user lacks any grocery items, it can automatically add the items to the Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods cart.

If the user has connected Alexa+ with their smart home devices, these can be controlled via the browser as well. So, users can check if someone is at the front door, turn on the lights, adjust the thermostat, check security cameras, and more while they're away from home. With multimodal input, users can also upload images, emails, and documents, and Alexa+ can extract data, add to the calendar, or simply remember the information to remind the user at an appropriate time.