Amazon Alexa Gets 'Answer Update' Feature, Notifies When It Learns Answers to Unanswered Questions

Amazon, in an effort to advance Alexa's capabilities, has reportedly confirmed the rollout of a new feature called 'Answer Update'. The new feature in Amazon Alexa will notify users when the voice assistant learns the answer to questions it didn't previously know. Usually, when Alexa doesn't know the answer to a question, it replies with statements such as "I don't know, but I am always learning". However, with the new Answer Update feature, Alexa will be able to answer those questions when it finally figures them out.

As spotted by Voicebox, Amazon is rolling out a feature called Answer Update on Alexa devices over the next week. Earlier, when a user would present Alexa with a query that the voice assistant cannot figure out, it would reply with phrases such as "I cannot find the answer to the question I heard," or "Sorry, I didn't understand the question." But now, when users turn on the new Answer Update feature, it will reportedly reply with "Okay, if you ask me a question and I don't know the answer but I find out later, I'll notify you."

Amazon Alexa will send the notification on the device where you have enabled the feature, a TechCrunch report said. "The Alexa service is getting smarter every day, and Answer Updates is just another way we're continuing to expand Alexa's Knowledge Graph," an Amazon spokesperson told the site.

By introducing Answer Update in Alexa and plugging holes in its knowledge graph, Amazon is taking on the likes of Google Home. To see if your Alexa-powered device has received the Answer Update feature, just say "Alexa, turn on Answer Update." Notably, the Answer Update feature will be an opt-in feature that is expected to roll out to Amazon Alexa users over the next week.