Amazon says it’s constantly inviting users to try Alexa+ AI

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Reuters recently published a story titled “Weeks after Amazon’s Alexa+ AI launch, a mystery: where are the users?” questioning the visibility and availability of Amazon’s new AI-powered Alexa+ voice assistant. 

The report claimed that despite Alexa+ being announced months ago, there’s little evidence of people actually using it. 

Reuters said it searched various social media platforms, news sites, and product reviews but couldn’t find solid proof that real users had access to the upgraded assistant.

The story cited an analyst who suggested it seems like no one actually has Alexa+. While two Reddit users claimed to have it, Reuters couldn’t verify their identities or their claims.

In response, Amazon strongly denied the idea that Alexa+ isn’t available. A spokesperson from Amazon, Eric Sveum, told The Verge that saying Alexa+ isn’t accessible is “simply wrong.” 

He stated that hundreds of thousands of customers already have access and that more are being invited through the early access program. Sveum even provided a screenshot of what the invitation email looks like.

Alexa+ is Amazon’s updated version of Alexa, using generative AI, which allows it to carry on more natural conversations and handle more complex tasks. It’s free for Amazon Prime members and costs $19.99 per month for others.

Amazon began rolling out Alexa+ to a limited number of users in March. However, not all features were available right away. 

For instance, users couldn’t yet use it to order food from Grubhub using natural conversation or have it recognize individual family members. Some features, like accessing Alexa+ from a web browser or Fire TV, are still listed as “coming soon.”

Reports from Engadget now confirm that Amazon has recently sent out more invitations. 

An Amazon representative reiterated that hundreds of thousands of people are already using the new assistant, mainly those who own specific Echo Show devices, which the company is prioritizing in the rollout.

Have you tried Alexa+ or are you looking forward to? What do you think about the adaption rates here? Tell us below in the comments, or via our Twitter or Facebook.