Amazon CEO Andy Jassy shared plans to introduce advertisements when users chat with Alexa+. The Seattle-based tech giant unveiled the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered version of Alexa voice assistant in February, which comes with several new capabilities. Currently available in the US, the company claims that Alexa+ has been rolled out to and is being used by millions of users. Jassy now wants to place ads between these conversations, which will mark a first for the company.
Alexa+ Might Place Ads Mid-Conversation
The Amazon CEO’s statements were made during the company’s second-quarter earnings call with stakeholders on Thursday. Highlighting the company’s achievements in the previous quarter ending in June, Jassy said that the current version of the Alexa experience brings more intelligence in the way it processes and handles tasks, based on transcriptions from Seeking Alpha. Its agentic capabilities were also mentioned.
Jassy also claimed that currently, millions of users in the US have access to Alexa+, and the rest of the country will get it in the next couple of months. Later this year, the company plans to begin the voice assistant’s international rollout. He also claimed that Alexa+ was being used more expansively and more frequently compared to its predecessor.
Building on this, Jassy told the stakeholders, “I think over time, there will be opportunities as people are engaging more in multiturn conversations to have advertising play a role to help people find discovery and also as a lever to drive revenue.”
Over time, the Amazon CEO also sees a potential for a “subscription element” with the voice assistant. However, he adds that this will not happen in the near future. Notably, currently Alexa+ is available for free to Prime members, while non-Prime members are required to pay $9.99 (roughly Rs. 875) a month for the service.
Alexa+, as explained by Amazon at launch, can answer user queries, perform smart home appliance-based tasks, and have conversations with users. It can also find and play music from streaming services such as Amazon Music, Spotify, and Apple Music based on vague descriptions, track when tickets for an event go on sale, and perform agentic functions such as ordering groceries, booking appointments, and making reservations.
