Alexa+ launches in the UK
Amazon’s next-generation smart assistant has entered its early access program in the UK, marking Alexa+’s European debut following rollouts in the US, Canada and Mexico. Starting March 19, invitations to start using the smarter, more conversational system will be sent to “hundreds of thousands” of willing participants, Amazon said in a statement, adding that Alexa is the most popular voice assistant in the UK.
In addition to its more natural communication, agent capabilities, contextual awareness and ability to remember previous conversations across devices, Amazon says users across the Atlantic benefit from an “authentically British” AI-powered assistant. He understands slang terms like “cuppa” and might even accuse you of grabbing the mic in the middle of a conversation. Can we exclude some cringe-inducing Cockney impersonations? Absolutely not. He also distinguishes, for example, between the way the British pronounce the date – “April 1st” – and the way it is pronounced in the United States.
Amazon said engineers, linguists and speech specialists worked together at the company’s Cambridge-based Tech Hub to ensure the voice assistant understands UK users, with naturally fluent conversations a crucial part of the Alexa+ experience.
On the agent side, the current list of UK partners will include OpenTable and, soon, JustEat, as well as existing partnerships with services like Spotify, Philips and Apple Music. Amazon also sources information from companies such as The guardian and future editions.
UK-based customers who purchase a new supported Echo device will automatically be eligible for early access, and if you already own one, you can sign up to receive an invitation. You can also try Alexa+ on select Fire TV devices and in a web browser.
During the early access period, which lasted nearly a year in the United States before rolling out last month, Alexa+ will be free and will remain that way for Prime members. This alone will cost £20 a month. As a reminder, Prime costs £9 per month in the UK (£95 per year), so it doesn’t make sense to pay more for Alexa+ exclusively when it’s included in the main subscription anyway.
This article was originally published on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/alexa-launches-in-the-uk-141058988.html?src=rss
