Amazon Takes On ChatGPT and Gemini With New Web-Based AI Assistant – channelnews.com.au
Amazon has begun rolling out a web version of its next-generation Alexa+ assistant, marking its strongest push yet to position Alexa as a direct competitor to ChatGPT and Google Gemini – not just a voice in a smart speaker.
For some users, typing Alexa.com into a browser now opens a full chatbot-style interface, allowing Alexa+ to be used via keyboard and mouse rather than voice alone.
The move brings Alexa into line with how many people already use generative AI tools at work and on desktops, extending it beyond Echo devices and the Alexa mobile app.
The web interface will look familiar to anyone who has used modern AI chatbots.
A large central chat box supports typed conversations, suggested prompts and one-click copying of responses.
You can now upload documents for analysis, manage calendars and shopping lists, and pick up conversations started on Echo devices thanks to synced chat history in a left-hand sidebar.
Amazon is pitching the web version as a productivity upgrade.
Tasks that were awkward with voice, such as editing long documents, reviewing files or reusing generated text, are far easier on a bigger screen.
Alexa+ can plan trips, write letters, create study guides, analyse uploaded files, help with shopping and even book restaurants, with outputs that can be quickly reused elsewhere.
However, the experience is still early-stage. The web interface is more bare-bones than rivals such as ChatGPT or Gemini, lacking advanced features like custom bots, creative canvases or deep file handling. File support is also limited compared to competing platforms.
Access to Alexa.com is currently rolling out to a subset of users in Amazon’s Alexa+ early access program.
Alexa+ is free during testing, but Amazon plans to bundle it with Prime in future, while charging non-Prime users around US$20 per month.
Meanwhile, Amazon is also expanding Alexa+ deeper into the smart home.
This week it announced Alexa+ Greetings, which allows Alexa to answer Ring doorbells and hold natural conversations with visitors.
Using Ring’s camera intelligence and Alexa’s conversational AI, the assistant can handle deliveries, politely dismiss salespeople, or relay messages.
Joe Gallop
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