Amazon Unveils Alexa+, Powered by Generative A.I.

Read more at The New York Times
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With Its AI-Powered Alexa+, Amazon Just Put Apple on Notice
Amazon just showed off the AI future everyone is promising—including Apple.Inc. - 5d -
Amazon unveils revamped Alexa with AI features for $19.99 per month, free for Prime members
Amazon has been working for years to overhaul Alexa with generative AI features as it faced rising competition from OpenAI's ChatGPT and other chatbots.CNBC - 6d -
Amazon's most powerful new Alexa features being powered by Anthropic's AI, sources say
Anthropic's Claude large language model is powering the majority of complex tasks for Amazon's new Alexa+, sources tell CNBC.CNBC - 3d -
Amazon Debuts New Alexa Voice Assistant With AI Overhaul
It’s called Alexa+, and the idea behind it is that generative AI can take the voice assistant to the next level.Inc. - 6d -
Rebuilding Alexa: How Amazon is mixing models, agents and browser-use for smarter AI
In rearchitecting the upgraded Alexa voice assistant, Amazon turned to model mixing to bring agentic capabilities to devices.VentureBeat - 5d -
Amazon's Souped-Up Alexa+ Arrives Next Month
Alexa+ will cost $20 a month but will be free for Amazon Prime members. It'll eventually arrive on nearly every Alexa device the company has shipped.Wired - 6d -
Here’s how the new Alexa+ could change the price of Amazon Prime
Amazon revealed its $19.99 Alexa+ service, which will tap generative AI to perform more advanced tasks. Prime members won’t have to pay extra for it — for now.MarketWatch - 5d -
Amazon Web Services unveils Ocelot quantum computing chip
Amazon Web Services has unveiled its Ocelot chip based on a hardware-efficient quantum computing architecture.VentureBeat - 5d -
Amazon unveils Ocelot, its first quantum computing chip
Amazon Web Services enters emerging race against tech giants days after Microsoft revealed its quantum chip. Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Thursday announced Ocelot, its first-generation quantum ...The Guardian - 5d -
I’m Not Convinced Ethical Generative AI Currently Exists
WIRED’s advice columnist considers whether some AI tools are more ethical than others, and if developers can make AI wiser.Wired - Feb. 20 -
You.com unveils AI research agent that processes 400+ sources at once
You.com launches ARI, a cutting-edge AI research agent that processes over 400 sources in minutes, revolutionizing market research and empowering faster, more accurate business decision-making.VentureBeat - 5d -
Microsoft unveils new voice-activated AI assistant for doctors
Microsoft announced a new health-care AI assistant called Dragon Copilot that builds on its existing offerings.CNBC - 1d -
Call Of Duty Uses Generative AI For Some Content, Activision Admits
An update to the Call of Duty HQ page on Steam confirms that Activision's development teams do in fact use "generative AI tools" as a means to "help develop some in-game assets.". About a year ago, ...GameSpot - Feb. 25 -
Alibaba makes AI video generation model free to use globally
Open-source AI tech has been thrown into the spotlight since Chinese firm DeepSeek rattled global markets in January.CNBC - 6d -
What an AI-generated video of Gaza reveals about Trump tactics
US President Donald Trump sparked a social media frenzy when he posted a video of Gaza generated by artificial intelligence on his site Truth Social. Marianna Spring has been analysing the online ...BBC News - 6d -
LA Times to display AI-generated political rating on opinion pieces
Los Angeles paper’s ‘Insights’ tool comes after months of public debate between opinion staff and billionaire owner. Some Los Angeles Times opinion pieces will now be published with an artificial ...The Guardian - 1d -
Amazon touts its first quantum computing chip a week after Microsoft's unveiling
Amazon revealed its first chip for quantum computing, and said its design will help the online retailer build highly efficient hardware systems.CNBC - 5d -
Xbox Pushes Ahead With Muse, a New Generative AI Model. Devs Say ‘Nobody Will Want This’
One developer responds to the release of Muse: “We are implicitly empowering a class of people who own these tools and don’t give a fuck about how they reshape our lives.”Wired - Feb. 19 -
TVs at HUD Played an AI-Generated Video of Donald Trump Kissing Elon Musk’s Feet
On Monday morning, TV sets at the headquarters of the Department of Housing and Urban Development played the seemingly AI-generated video on loop, along with the words “LONG LIVE THE REAL KING.”Wired - Feb. 24 -
Hume launches new text-to-speech model Octave that generates custom AI voices with adjustable emotions
Hume emphasized its Octave TTS pricing is around half the cost of the competing offering from AI voice creation startup ElevenLabs.VentureBeat - 6d -
LA Times to give op-eds AI-generated political rating, list of alternate views
The Los Angeles Times has launched an AI-driven "bias meter" to provide readers with alternative perspectives on opinion content.The Hill - 23h -
Activision Comes Under Fire After Players Spot Possible Generative AI In Mobile Game Ads
Ads for four unconfirmed Activision mobile games--Guitar Hero Mobile, Call Of Duty: Sniper, and Call Of Duty: Zombies Defender, and Crash Bandicoot Brawl--all allegedly feature what players believe ...GameSpot - 1d -
Amazon bets savings from automation can help fuel AI spending boom
US tech giant expected to spend as much as $25bn on warehouse automation in broader efficiency driveFinancial Times - 6d -
Eli Lilly's stock recovery chugs along, and Amazon's AI strategy adds a new pillar
Every weekday, the Investing Club releases the Homestretch; an actionable afternoon update just in time for the last hour of trading.CNBC - 6d -
Amazon-backed AI firm Anthropic valued at $61.5 billion after latest round
Anthropic on Monday closed its latest funding round at a $61.5 billion post-money valuation, the company confirmed to CNBC.CNBC - 1d -
Medical training’s AI leap: How agentic RAG, open-weight LLMs and real-time case insights are shaping a new generation of doctors at NYU Langone
NYU Langone has built an LLM research companion and medical advisor, and is pioneering what it calls AI-driven “precision medical education."VentureBeat - Feb. 20 -
The cyber insurance reckoning: Why AI-powered attacks are breaking coverage (and what comes next)
Cybersecurity insurance is increasingly critical, particularly as AI transforms (and simplifies) hackers' methodologies.VentureBeat - Feb. 20 -
Adobe launches first Photoshop mobile app and it has amazing Firefly AI-powered object detection, editing, and effects
Photoshop mobile includes Firefly-powered gen AI features like Generative Fill and Generative Expand and has mobile-adjusted touch targets.VentureBeat - Feb. 25 -
AI’s power demands spark new joint GE Vernova–NRG electricity plant project
NRG flags need for new partnerships to fuel power development.MarketWatch - 5d -
Semantic understanding, not just vectors: How Intuit’s data architecture powers agentic AI with measurable ROI
From automation to autonomy: How Intuit's 'done for you' agentic AI architecture drives concrete business outcomes.VentureBeat - 4d -
Geely follows BYD in making AI-powered pilot system available across all brands
Yahoo News - 11h -
Google makes Gemini Code Assist free with 180,000 code completions per month as AI-powered dev race heats up
Google’s decision to provide a free version with significantly higher usage limits positions Gemini Code Assist as a compelling choice.VentureBeat - Feb. 25 -
Alexa relaunched with ambition to be 'your best digital friend'
It is available from March and included in a Prime subscription - or $19.99 to non-members.BBC News - 6d -
Apple unveils child privacy feature
Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter {beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story Apple unveils ‘age assurance’ technology Apple will introduce technology to boost children’s privacy and ...The Hill - 3d -
Qualcomm unveils Dragonwing brand for enterprise tech solutions
Qualcomm unveiled its new Qualcomm Dragonwing brand for its products in the industrial, embedded IoT, enterprise and networking markets. Don McGuire, chief marketing officer at Qualcomm, said the ...VentureBeat - Feb. 25 -
Framework unveils new repairable and upgradeable laptops and desktop
Framework launched new versions of its 12-inch and 13-inch laptops as well as a new desktop computer today -- all with repairable and upgradeable options.VentureBeat - 6d -
OpenAI Unveils GPT-4.5 for More ‘Natural Conversation’
The new technology, called GPT-4.5, signifies the end of an era for OpenAI.The New York Times - 4d -
TSMC unveils $100bn advanced chipmaking investment in the US
Taiwanese company’s overture to Trump administration marks effort to ward off tariffs on importsFinancial Times - 21h
More from The New York Times
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A.I. Start-Up Anthropic Closes Deal That Values It at $61.5 Billion
The announcement follows new fund-raising efforts from rivals like OpenAI, which is set to close a deal that values the company at $300 billion, and Elon Musk’s xAI.The New York Times - 1d -
TSMC, the Chip Giant, Is to Spend $100 Billion in U.S. Over the Next 4 Years
The investment plan, announced at the White House, was made as the Trump administration pushes to bring chip making back to the United States.The New York Times - 19h -
How Elon Musk Uses Internet Slang to Marshal His Army of Online Fans
Mr. Musk uses online slang to marshal his 200 million social media followers in support of his efforts to gut the federal government. But he might be reaching his limits.The New York Times - 2d -
Apple Pulls iPhone Security Feature in UK
Law enforcement in the country was pressuring the company to create a tool that would act like a back door into customers’ data.The New York Times - Feb. 21 -
Under Trump, U.S. Dismantles Crypto Crackdown
Going case by case, regulators have halted investigations and withdrawn or paused lawsuits against top crypto companies and their executives.The New York Times - 4d
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