How Amazon's next generation Alexa+ plans to change the world - and what it means for the Black Country
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The next generation of Alexa will be more conversational, thoughtful, and more approachable than ever.
In a country with more than 40 distinct dialects, it’s safe to say that the UK has had its struggles with Alexa’s understanding of the British people.
Yam Yam, Brummie, Scouse or Geordie, Alexa definitely had its hands full when it launched in the UK back in 2016.
Well, no longer, as Amazon’s Alexa+ promises to solve the issue of hyper-local accents in a more approachable, personal, and more actionable way than ever.
Powered by generative AI, the new Alexa+ promises a more ‘representational’ step for the current Alexa system.
Trevor Wood, senior manager for applied science for Amazon, was talking at the ‘Delivering the Future’ expo at the LCY3 Fulfilment Centre in Dartford.
He said: “Alexa+ is the next generation. It’s more conversational, she can handle natural back-and-forth dialogue, and she is significantly smarter.
“Powered by generative AI, she can reason, summarise, and answer questions with far greater depth. This Alexa is deeply personalised, and learns the preferences that you share over time.”
The new software, which has already launched in early access in the UK, stands out from other AI assistants by being noticeably culturally aware.
For instance, if set in the UK, Alexa+ will know that ‘cuppa’ means a cup of tea, and that ‘knackered’ means tired, and hopefully, that ‘bostin’ means ‘great’.
We asked Mr Wood about Alexa+ and hyper-local dialects, and what Alexa+ is doing to overcome the issue.
He said: “The UK has more than 40 unique dialects to it, idioms that don’t have a meaning outside of the communities they are spoken in.
“We have a team of researchers, both linguistic and technological, and we are utilising partners to make Alexa+ feel more local.
“In the instance of the UK, many AI partners will use what we call ‘the king’s English’, as it’s the first choice, but the UK is made of more than that.”
This could mean that in the near future, those with notably stronger Black Country accents might finally be understood by our Alexa friends, and more importantly, it might finally be able to answer the questions of ‘Where can I get a bostin’ bit of fittle’?.
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