How Amazon blew Alexa’s shot to dominate AI, according to more than a dozen employees who worked on it

Amazon's attempt to transform Alexa with generative AI has stumbled, according to former employees. Despite a promising demo in September 2023, the new Alexa has yet to launch widely. Structural dysfunctions, technological constraints, and prioritization of other projects, such as AWS's Bedrock, have hindered progress. Insufficient data and outdated chips further impede development. As rival companies like OpenAI and Apple capture the generative AI market, Amazon's vision of making Alexa a leading conversational agent is in jeopardy, making it difficult for the digital assistant to catch up to its competitors.

Opens on Fortune