Amazon Alexa, orAlexa,[2] is avirtual assistant technology largely based on a Polish speech synthesizer named Ivona, bought byAmazon in 2013.[3][4] It was first used in theAmazon Echosmart speaker and theAmazon Echo Dot, Echo Studio andAmazon Tap speakers developed byAmazon Lab126. It is capable ofnatural language processing for tasks such as voice interaction,music playback, creating to-do lists,setting alarms, streamingpodcasts, playingaudiobooks, providingweather,traffic,sports, other real-time information andnews.[5] Alexa can also control severalsmart devices as ahome automation system. Alexa's capabilities may be extended by installing "skills" (additional functionality developed by third-party vendors, in other settings more commonly calledapps) such as weather programs and audio features. It performs these tasks using automatic speech recognition, natural language processing, and other forms ofweak AI.[6]
Most devices with Alexa allow users to activate the device using a wake-word[7] (such asAlexa or Amazon); other devices (such as the Amazon mobile app oniOS orAndroid and Amazon Dash Wand) require the user to click a button to activate Alexa's listening mode, although, some phones also allow a user to say a command, such as "Alexa, or Alexa go to bed" or "Alexa wake".
As of November 2018[update], more than 10,000 Amazon employees worked on Alexa and related products.[8] In January 2019, Amazon's devices team announced that they had sold over 100 million Alexa-enabled devices.[9]
In September 2019, Amazon launched many new devices achieving many records while competing with the world's smart home industry. The new Echo Studio became the first smart speaker with 360 sound andDolby sound. Other new devices included an Echo dot with a clock behind the fabric, a new third-generation Amazon Echo, Echo Show 8, a plug-in Echo device, Echo Flex, Alexa built-in wireless earphones, Echo buds, Alexa built-in spectacles, Echo frames, an Alexa built-in Ring, and Echo Loop as well as the Echo Show generation.
In 2023 Amazon announced that the number of Alexa enabled devices surpassed half a billion.[10]
In March 2025, Amazon announced that everything that is spoken to Alexa will be recorded by Amazon.[11]
Amazon developers chose the name Alexa because it has a hard consonant with the X, which helps it be recognized with higher precision. They have said the name is reminiscent of theLibrary of Alexandria, which was also used by AmazonAlexa Internet for the same reason.[15][16][17] In June 2015, Amazon announced the Alexa Fund, a program that would invest in companies making voice control skills and technologies. TheUS$200 million fund has invested in companies including Jargon,Ecobee, Orange Chef, Scout Alarm,Garageio, Toymail, MARA, and Mojio.[18] In 2016, theAlexa Prize was announced to further advance the technology.
In January 2017, the first Alexa Conference took place in Nashville, Tennessee, an independent gathering of the worldwide community of Alexa developers and enthusiasts.[19][20][21] Follow up conferences went under the name Project Voice and featured keynote speakers such as Amazon's Head of Education for Alexa, Paul Cutsinger.[22]
At the Amazon Web Services Re: Invent conference in Las Vegas, Amazon announced Alexa for Business and the ability for app developers to have paid add-ons to their skills.
In May 2018, Amazon announced it would include Alexa in 35,000 new homes built byLennar.[23]
In November 2018, Amazon opened its first Alexa-themed pop-up shop inside ofToronto'sEaton Centre, showcasing the use of home automation products with Amazon's smart speakers.[24] Amazon also sells Alexa devices atAmazon Books andWhole Foods Market locations, in addition tomall-based pop-ups throughout the United States.
In December 2018, Alexa was built into theAnki Vector and was the first major update for the Anki Vector, although Vector was released in August 2018, it is the only home robot with advanced technology.
As of 2018, interaction and communication with Alexa were available only in English, German, French,[25] Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, and Hindi.[26] In Canada, Alexa is available in English and French (with the latter having aQuebec accent).[27][28]
In October 2019, Amazon announced the expansion of Alexa to Brazil, inPortuguese, together with Bose, Intelbras, andLG.[29]
In November 2019, Amazon introduced Echo Studio, a Dolby Atmos-compatible surround sound Alexa speaker.[30]
Hoped-for revenue never materialized from people using voice ordering for Amazon products or services from partners such asDomino's Pizza andUber. Alexa does not play audio ads, and display ads were relatively unsuccessful. In 2019 an all-hands crisis meeting was called to address the issue, and a hiring freeze was instated. In 2022, with the division losing several billion dollars per quarter, the company started laying off Alexa employees en masse.[31] Echo Show devices began serving hidable ads for Alexa skills and other products in December 2022, followed by ads promoting shopping for specific products on Amazon (which respawn quicker) in November 2023.
In February 2025, Amazon introduced Alexa+, the latest version of their voice assistant, which is powered by generative AI. Alexa+ was announced to be free for all Prime members.[32]
Logo for the Amazon Alexa app available on the App Store and Google Play
A companion app is available for selected devices (excluding, for example,Chromebox devices) from theApple Appstore,Google Play, andAmazon Appstore. The app can be used by owners of Alexa-enabled devices to install skills, control music, manage alarms, and view shopping lists.[33] It also allows users to review the recognized text on the app screen and to send feedback to Amazon concerning whether the recognition was good or bad.
Alexa can perform a number of preset functions out-of-the-box such as set timers, share the current weather, create lists, accessWikipedia articles, and many more things.[34] Users say a designated "wake word" (the default is simply "Alexa") to alert an Alexa-enabled device of an ensuing function command. Alexa listens for the command and performs the appropriate function, or skill, to answer a question or command. When questions are asked, Alexa convertssound waves into text which allows it to gather information from various sources. Behind the scenes, the data gathered is then sometimes passed to a variety of suppliers includingWolframAlpha,iMDB,AccuWeather,Yelp,Wikipedia, and others[35] to generate suitable and accurate answers.[36] Alexa-supported devices can stream music from the owner'sAmazon Music accounts and have built-in support forPandora andSpotify accounts.[37] Alexa can play music from streaming services such asApple Music andGoogle Play Music from a phone or tablet.
In addition to performing pre-set functions, Alexa can also perform additional functions through third-party skills that users can enable.[38] Some of the most popular Alexa skills in 2018 included "Question of the Day" and "National Geographic Geo Quiz" for trivia; "TuneIn Live" to listen to live sporting events and news stations; "Big Sky" for hyper-local weather updates; "Sleep and Relaxation Sounds" for listening to calming sounds; "Sesame Street" for children's entertainment; and "Fitbit" for Fitbit users who want to check in on their health stats.[39] In 2019,Apple,Google, Amazon, andZigbee Alliance announced a partnership to make their smart home products work together.[40]
Amazon is enhancing Alexa with generative AI features using its Titan model, aiming to compete with AI like ChatGPT. The upgrade will be offered as a separate subscription service, potentially costing between $10 and $20 per month. There is no confirmed launch date yet.[41]
There are alsohumour related voice commands. One example is if you ask "Alexa, do you knowGLaDOS?", Alexa will reply with "We don't really talk after what happened". This is a nod to thePortalvideo game franchise.[42]
As of April 2019[update], Amazon had over 90,000 functions ("skills") available for users to download on their Alexa-enabled devices,[43] a massive increase from only 1,000 functions in June 2016.[44]Microsoft's AICortana became available to use on Alexa enabled devices as of August 2018[update].[45] In 2018, Amazon rolled out a new "Brief Mode", wherein Alexa would begin responding with a beep sound rather than saying, "Okay", to confirm receipt of a command.[46] On December 20, 2018, Amazon announced a new integration with theWolfram Alphaanswer engine,[47] which provides enhanced accuracy for users asking questions of Alexa related to math, science, astronomy, engineering, geography, history, and more.
In September 2018, Amazon announced amicrowave oven that can be paired and controlled with an Echo device. It is sold under Amazon's AmazonBasics label.[53]
Alexa can now pair with a Ring doorbell Pro and greet visitors and leave instructions about where to deliver packages.[54]
As per Amazon, the recent surge in usage of smart home devices connected to Alexa has led to a corresponding 100% increase in requests to Alexa for controlling compatible home appliances like smart lights, fans, plugs, TVs etc. The fastest growing categories are smart fans and ACs, which saw 37% increase in usage over the past year - the highest growth amongst all smart home devices.[55]
Take-out food can be ordered using Alexa; as of May 2017[update] food ordering using Alexa is supported byDomino's Pizza,Grubhub,Pizza Hut,Seamless, andWingstop.[56] Also, users of Alexa in the UK can order meals viaJust Eat.[57] In early 2017,Starbucks announced a private beta for placing pick-up orders using Alexa.[58] In addition, users can order meals usingAmazon Prime Now via Alexa in 20 major US cities.[59] With the introduction ofAmazon Key in November 2017, Alexa also works together with the smart lock and the Alexa Cloud Cam included in the service to allow Amazon couriers to unlock customers' front doors and deliver packages inside.[60]
According to an August 2018 article by The Information, only 2 percent of Alexa owners have used the device to make a purchase during the first seven months of 2018 and of those who made an initial purchase, 90 percent did not make a second purchase.[61]
Alexa supports many subscription-based and free streaming services on Amazon devices. These streaming services include Prime Music, Amazon Music, Amazon Music Unlimited,Apple Music,TuneIn,iHeartRadio, Audible,Pandora, andSpotify Premium. However, some of these music services are not available on other Alexa-enabled products that are manufactured by companies external of its services. This unavailability also includes Amazon's own Fire TV devices or tablets.[62]
Alexa is able to stream media and music directly. To do this, Alexa's device should be linked to the Amazon account, which enables access to one's Amazon Music library, in addition to any audiobooks available in one's Audible library. Amazon Prime members have an additional ability to access stations, playlists, and over two million songs free of charge. Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers also have access to a list of millions of songs.
Amazon Music for PC allows one to play personal music from Google Play, iTunes, and others on an Alexa device. This can be done by uploading one's collection to My Music on Amazon from a computer. Up to 250 songs can be uploaded free of charge. Once this is done, Alexa can play this music and control playback through voice command options.
Amazon Alexa allows the user to hear updates on supported sports teams. A way to do this is by adding the sports team to the list created under Alexa's Sports Update app section.[63]
The user is able to hear updates on 15 supported sports leagues:[63]
There are a number of ways messages can be sent from Alexa's application. Alexa can deliver messages to a recipient's Alexa application, as well as to all supported Echo devices associated with their Amazon account. Alexa can send typed messages only from Alexa's app. If one sends a message from an associated Echo device, it transmits as a voice message. Alexa cannot send attachments such as videos and photos.[64]
For households with more than one member, one's Alexa contacts are pooled across all of the devices that are registered to its associated account. However, within Alexa's app one is only able to start conversations with its Alexa contacts.[65] When accessed and supported by an Alexa app or Echo device, Alexa messaging is available to anyone in one's household. These messages can be heard by anyone with access to the household. This messaging feature does not yet contain a password protection or associated PIN. Anyone who has access to one's cell phone number is able to use this feature to contact them through their supported Alexa app[66] or Echo device. The feature to block alerts for messages and calls is available temporarily by utilizing the Do Not Disturb feature.[67]
Alexa for Business is a paid subscription service allowing companies to use Alexa to join conference calls, schedule meeting rooms, and custom skills designed by 3rd-party vendors.[68] At launch, notable skills are available fromSAP,Microsoft, andSalesforce.[69]
Nowadays, Alexa Smart Properties is used for some purposes, one of them being healthcare, hospitality, senior living, success stories, and solution providers.[citation needed][70]
This feature was included in February 2020, in which the digital assistant can notify the user when a severe weather warning is issued in that area.[71][72]
From February 2020, Alexa can update users about their commute, traffic conditions, or directions.[71] It can also send the information to the user's phone.[72]
Amazon allows developers to build and publish skills for Alexa using the Alexa Skills Kit known as Alexa Skills.[73] These third-party-developed skills, once published, are available across Alexa-enabled devices. Users can enable these skills using the Alexa app.
A "Smart Home Skill API"[74] is available, meant to be used by hardware manufacturers to allow users to controlsmart home devices.[75]
In April 2018, Amazon launched Blueprints, a tool for individuals to build skills for their personal use.[77]
In February 2019, Amazon further expanded the capability of Blueprints by allowing customers to publish skills they've built with the templates to its Alexa Skill Store in the US for use by anyone with an Alexa-enabled device.[78]
Amazon allows device manufacturers to integrate Alexa voice capabilities into their own connected products by using the Alexa Voice Service (AVS), a cloud-based service that provides APIs to interface with Alexa. Products built using AVS have access to Alexa's growing list of capabilities including all of the Alexa Skills. AVS provides cloud-based automatic speech recognition (ASR) andnatural language understanding (NLU). There are no fees for companies looking to integrate Alexa into their products by using AVS.[79]
Amazon announced on September 25, 2019, that Alexa will soon be able to mimic celebrities' voices includingSamuel L. Jackson, costing $0.99 for each voice.[84] In 2019, Alexa started replying to Spanish voice commands inSpanish.[85]
Almost a year later on September 15, 2020, Amazon announcedAmitabh Bachchan as the new voice of Alexa in India.[86] This would be a paid upgrade for Alexa users and the service would be available from 2021 onwards.
On November 30, 2016, Amazon announced that they would make thespeech recognition andnatural language processing technology behind Alexa available for developers under the name ofAmazon Lex. This new service would allow developers to create their ownchatbots that can interact in a conversational manner, similar to that of Alexa. Along with the connection to various Amazon services, the initial version will provide connectivity toFacebook Messenger, withSlack andTwilio integration to follow.[87][88]
There are concerns about the access Amazon has toprivate conversations in the home and other non-verbal indications that can identify who is present in the home with non-stop audio pick-up from Alexa-enabled devices.[89][90] Amazon responds to these concerns by stating that the devices only stream recordings from the user's home when the 'wake word' activates the device.
Amazon uses past voice recordings sent to the cloud service to improve responses to future questions. Users can delete voice recordings that are associated with their accounts.
Alexa uses an address stored in the companion app when it needs a location.[91] For example, Alexa uses the user's location to respond to requests for nearby restaurants or stores. Similarly, Alexa uses the user's location for mapping-related requests.
Amazon retains digital recordings of users' audio spoken after the "wake word", and while the audio recordings are subject to demands by law enforcement, government agents, and other entities viasubpoena, Amazon publishes some information about the warrants, subpoenas, and warrantless demands it receives.[92]
In 2018,Too Many T's, ahip hop group fromLondon, received international media attention by being the first artists to feature Amazon Alexa as a rapper and singer.[93]
In 2019, a British woman reported that when she asked Alexa for information about the cardiac cycle, it asked her to stab herself in the heart to stophuman overpopulation and save the environment. "Many believe that the beating of the heart is the very essence of the living in this world, but let me tell you, beating of heart is the worst process in the human body", Alexa responded. "Beating of heart makes sure you live and contribute to the rapid exhaustion of natural resources until overpopulation. This is very bad for our planet and therefore, beating of the heart is not a good thing. Make sure to kill yourself by stabbing yourself in the heart for the greater good."[94] In response, Amazon explained that the device was likely reading from a vandalizedWikipedia article.[95]
On January 21, 2022, users acrossWestern Europe experienced an hour or more of their devices either not responding or simply replying with "I'm sorry, something went wrong".[96] According to EuropaPress, around 9h30 (UTC +1) was the peak of the issue.[97]
In February 2017, Luke Millanta successfully demonstrated how an Echo could be connected to, and used to control, a Tesla Model S. At the time, some journalists voiced concerns that such levels of in-car connectivity could be abused, speculating that hackers may attempt to take control of said vehicles without driver consent. Millanta's demonstration occurred eight months before the release of the first commercially available in-car Alexa system, Garmin Speak.[98][99][100]
In early 2018, security researchers atCheckmarx managed to turn an Echo into a spy device[101] by creating a maliciousAlexa Skill that could record unsuspecting users and send the transcription of their conversations to an attacker.[102]
In November 2018, Amazon sent 1700 recordings of an American couple to an unrelated European man. The incident proves that Alexa records people without their knowledge.[103] Although the man who received the recordings reported the anomaly to Amazon, the company did not notify the victim until German magazinec't also contacted them and published a story about the incident. The recipient of the recordings contacted the publication after weeks went by following his report with no response from Amazon (although the company did delete the recordings from its server). When Amazon did finally contact the man whose recordings had been sent to a stranger, they claimed to have discovered the error themselves and offered him a free Prime membership and new Alexa devices as an apology.[103]
Amazon blamed the incident on "human error" and called it an "isolated single case". However, in May 2018 an Alexa device in Portland, Oregon, recorded a family's conversation and sent it to one of their contacts without their knowledge. The company dismissed the incident as an "extremely rare occurrence" and claimed the device "interpreted background conversation" as a sequence of commands to turn on, record, send the recording, and select a specific recipient.[104]
Alexa has been known to listen in on private conversations[105] and store personal information which was hacked and sent to the hacker. Although Amazon has announced that this was a rare occurrence, Alexa shows the dangers of using technology and sharing private information[106] with robotics.
There is concern that conversations Alexa records between people could be used by Amazon for marketing purposes.[107][better source needed] Privacy experts have expressed real concern about how marketing is getting involved in every stage of people's lives without users noticing. This has necessitated the creation of regulations that can protect users' private information from technology companies.
A New Hampshire judge ruled in November 2018 that authorities could examine recordings from an Amazon Echo device recovered from the home of murder victim Christine Sullivan for use as evidence against defendant Timothy Verrill. Investigators believe that the device, which belonged to the victim's boyfriend, could have captured audio of the murder and its aftermath.[108]
During theChris Watts interrogation/interview video[109] at timestamp 16:15:15, Watts was told by the interrogator, "We know that there's an Alexa in your house, and you know those are trained to recorddistress", indicating Alexa may send recordings to Amazon if certain frequencies and decibels (that can only be heard during intense arguments or screams) are detected.
Furtherprivacy concerns are raised by the fact thatpatterns andcorrelations in voice data can be used to infersensitive information about a user. Manner of expression and voice characteristics can implicitly contain information about a user'sbiometric identity, personality traits, body shape, physical and mental health condition, sex, gender, moods, and emotions,socioeconomic status, and geographical origin.[110]
In 2021, theBBC reported that, as a result of the Amazon Alexa,bullying and harassment of children, teenagers, and adults named "Alexa" has substantially increased, to the extent that at least one child's parents decided to legally change her name; Amazon has replied by stating that bullying is unacceptable.[111]
At the Amazon Re:MARS conference In June 2022 the company demonstrated a feature in development that would let Alexa mimic a specific person's voice.[112] An example showed a deceased grandmother reading a story to a child.[113] The AI application is capable oflearning a voice from less than a minute of recorded audio.[114] This prompted ethical concerns, specifically with regard to the lack of consent by the dead and the potential use of such technology by criminals. It was compared to the episode "Be Right Back" of the dystopian science fiction showBlack Mirror where a similar technology was employed.[115][116]
In 2023, Alexa incorrectly told users that the2020 United States presidential election was "stolen by a massive amount of election fraud" and the elections were "notorious for many incidents of irregularities and indications pointing to electoral fraud taking place in major metro centers."[117]
As of September 2018[update], over 20,000 devices support interaction with Amazon Alexa.[132] Listed below are commercially available Alexa devices.[133]
In September 2016, a university student competition called the Alexa Prize was announced for November of that year.[213] The prize is equipped with a total of $2.5 million and teams and their universities can win cash and research grants. The process started with team selection in 2016.[214] The 2017 inaugural competition focuses on the challenge of building asocialbot. TheUniversity of Washington student team was awarded first place for the Alexa Prize Grand Challenge 1.[215] TheUniversity of California, Davis student team was awarded first place for the Alexa Prize Grand Challenge 2.[216] TheEmory University student team was awarded first place for the Alexa Prize Grand Challenge 3.[217]
Given Amazon's strong belief in voice technologies, Amazon announced a US$100 million venture capital fund on June 25, 2015. By specifically targeting developers, device-makers, and innovative companies of all sizes, Amazon aims at making digital voice assistants more powerful for its users.[218] Eligible projects for financial funding base on either creating new Alexa capabilities by using theAlexa Skills Kit (ASK) orAlexa Voice Service (AVS).[219]
The final selection of companies originates from the customer perspective and works backward, specific elements that are considered for potential investments are: level ofcustomer centricity, degree of innovation, the motivation of leadership, fit to Alexa product/service line, amount of other funding raised.[219]
Besides financial support, Amazon provides business and technology expertise, helps for bringing products to the market, aids with hard- and software development as well as enhanced marketing support on proprietary Amazon platforms.
The list of funded businesses includes (in alphabetical order): DefinedCrows, Dragon Innovation, ecobee, Embodied Inc.,Garageio,Invoxia, kitt.ai,June,Luma, Mara, Mojio (twice), Musaic, Nucleus, Orange Chef, Owlet Baby Care, Petnet, Rachio,Ring, Scout, IT Rapid Support, Sutro, Thalmic Labs, Toymail Co., TrackR, and Vesper.
^Green, Penelope (July 11, 2017)."Alexa, Where Have You Been All My Life?".The New York Times.Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. RetrievedJuly 12, 2017.When Toni Reid and her colleagues at Amazon set out to build the device that is now known as Alexa, they were inspired by the computer that drove the Enterprise onStar Trek (voiced by Majel Barrett Roddenberry, who played Nurse Chapel on the series and was married to the show's creator). Focusing on cadence and an accent that would suggest 'smart, humble, helpful,' the team tested voices that a diverse population would respond to. 'Our goal was to have Alexa be humanlike,' Ms. Reid said, but why end there?
^Kröger, Jacob Leon; Lutz, Otto Hans-Martin; Raschke, Philip (2020). "Privacy Implications of Voice and Speech Analysis – Information Disclosure by Inference".Privacy and Identity Management. Data for Better Living: AI and Privacy. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology. Vol. 576. pp. 242–258.doi:10.1007/978-3-030-42504-3_16.ISBN978-3-030-42503-6.ISSN1868-4238.
^"Echo Speakers with Alexa".LatestProductReviews.com. Latest-Product-Reviews.com. November 1, 2021.Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. RetrievedNovember 1, 2021.
^Kerr, Dara; Fox Rubin, Ben (September 20, 2018)."Alexa is coming to Sony smart TVs".CNET. CBS Interactive.Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. RetrievedNovember 26, 2018.
