Amazon is giving its new Alexa+ AI helper to every US customer. It launched for tests almost a year ago. Now it’s open to all as Amazon chases top AI apps like ChatGPT. They announced it Wednesday. The test phase from March 2025 is over. Before, you had to join a waitlist or buy a new gadget. Now sign up for $20 a month. Prime members get it free.
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They pay $139 a year and there are over 200 million of them worldwide. You can try a basic free version on the Alexa+ website or app. But it has use limits.
Daniel Rausch runs Alexa at Amazon. He told CNBC millions already use it. People chat 2-3 times more. They use it more each week. Most gadgets lose users fast, but not this one.
Old Alexa started in 2014. It did easy voice jobs on Echo speakers. Alexa+ is much smarter. It handles many questions. It books Uber rides or home fixes for you. It works best on websites and apps. That’s like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Claude.
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Some Prime users got switched to Alexa+ without asking. They didn’t like it and complained. But you can switch back by talking to it. Rausch says people stick with it once they learn what it does.
Amazon had to update Alexa. ChatGPT blew up in late 2022. It made Amazon’s old helper look outdated. Now with Alexa+ for everyone, Amazon wants to rule smart homes again.
Public reactions on (X) Twitter to this news reflect a mix of skepticism, limited access concerns, and expectations for inclusivity.
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One user said they do not fully trust Alexa, which shows worry about privacy, whether the device works reliably, or how much such technology affects daily life.
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Another user pointed out that the service is not yet available to business customers, indicating that access is still restricted and that the rollout is partial rather than universal.
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Support for right-to-left languages like Hebrew was asked about by the third user, showing concern that AI tools should include many languages and be usable by people from different linguistic backgrounds.
