Amazon has an ambitious goal for Alexa’s next chapter: transforming the assistant into something that doesn’t just respond, but remembers — much like a trusted friend or family member.
That vision, shared by Amazon executives during interviews, at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, is shaping the company’s long-term plans for Alexa and its broader AI strategy.
The tech giant is trying to reignite the buzz Alexa generated when it debuted in 2014, when it quickly became a household name and helped popularize voice assistants. But momentum slowed, and in 2022, the arrival of ChatGPT pushed generative AI into the mainstream, catching Amazon unprepared. Since then, the company has been reworking its approach to artificial intelligence in an effort to close the gap.
After announcing in 2023 that a more conversational and personalized assistant was on the way, Amazon officially rolled out Alexa+ in 2025. Now, the company must convince users that this upgraded version is fundamentally different from the Alexa they’ve known for over a decade.
“There are tens of millions of people who use Alexa to turn on their coffee makers in the morning, and that’s cool,” said Panos Panay, Amazon’s head of devices and services, in an interview with CNN. “But that’s not what truly moves the world forward. What does is the context shared across all these devices.”
Alexa+ represents a crucial bet for Amazon as artificial intelligence emerges as the next major computing platform. The company previously failed to establish a strong foothold in mobile, leaving that space largely to Apple and Google. With Alexa+, Amazon is attempting to avoid repeating that mistake.
Standing out in a crowded AI field
Amazon’s newly launched Alexa.com website reflects a broader industry trend. Like OpenAI and startup Perplexity, Amazon is bringing its assistant into the browser, making it easier for users to interact with AI beyond a single device. Early access users can chat with Alexa online and seamlessly continue those conversations on Echo speakers or through the Alexa mobile app.
Rather than competing to build the most advanced AI model, Panay said Amazon’s focus is on applying AI in practical, real-world ways by drawing on information from its ecosystem of devices and services.
Apple is pursuing a similar strategy with its upcoming Siri overhaul, which will rely partly on Google’s Gemini AI models and cloud infrastructure — a partnership the companies announced earlier this week. Apple first revealed its plans for a revamped Siri in 2024, but the feature has yet to launch.
Panay shared examples he believes set Alexa apart from tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. In one case, after telling Alexa he needed a new harness for his dog, product options were already waiting for him on his Echo Show at home by the time he finished walking his pet.
In another instance, Panay recalled a family debate over where to eat dinner. When he asked Alexa for the top five restaurants they had previously considered, the assistant identified which ones they had already visited, suggested similar alternatives and offered to make a reservation.
While Google and OpenAI are moving in a comparable direction — with both Gemini and ChatGPT now capable of remembering conversational context and performing tasks such as booking reservations or checking product availability — Panay argues that Alexa’s deep personalization gives it an edge.
According to Amazon, Alexa+ users are interacting with the assistant far more than before, engaging in twice as many conversations compared with the previous version.
“As people start using it, the feedback we’re hearing is that it feels pleasant,” Panay said. “She knows a lot. And the more she understands about me, the better the experience becomes.”
Expanding Alexa’s role
For Alexa to truly become essential, Amazon knows it must be useful for more than shopping and casual recommendations. That also means encouraging people to rely on Alexa in new ways and on more platforms beyond Echo speakers.
Research published in August by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners shows that even more than a decade after the first Echo launched, most users still primarily use the devices to play music.
By integrating Alexa into a web-based experience through Alexa.com, Amazon hopes to broaden how people use the assistant — including for tasks like work-related research and travel planning — areas that helped propel ChatGPT’s popularity.
Taking Alexa outside the home
Making Alexa more functional on the go will be a major priority this year, said Daniel Rausch, vice president of Amazon’s Alexa and Echo teams. He added that Amazon plans to keep expanding features for Echo Frames, the Alexa-powered smart glasses introduced in 2019, though he declined to provide specifics.
Amazon is also signaling its future direction through its recent acquisition of Bee, a company that produces a wristband capable of recording conversations and offering insights such as summaries, reminders and emotional context.
After wearing a Bee device for a day during testing, the bracelet generated a suggested task list based on recorded conversations and other information it had permission to access, including location data and reminders stored on an iPhone.
Rausch said Amazon intends to combine those types of capabilities with Alexa moving forward.
“Bee offers a strong indication of where we’re headed in 2026,” he said.
This approach isn’t entirely new for Amazon. In 2020, the company released a wristband called Halo that analyzed tone and emotion in users’ voices. The device was later discontinued and drew criticism over privacy concerns, including from Senator Amy Klobuchar.
When asked how Amazon plans to address privacy worries — and skepticism that Alexa+ is simply another way to encourage more shopping — Panay emphasized that users have control. Customers can decide how long Alexa stores voice recordings and transcripts, among other settings.
Panay added that consumer attitudes often shift when a product delivers enough value. “When you give people something they truly love, something that genuinely improves their lives,” he said, “the conversation around concerns like privacy changes very quickly.”
