Amazon faced a major challenge in developing the new version of its AI-based voice assistant Alexa. Internal documents leaked to Fortune show that latency issues—that is, the delay in getting answers after asking questions—have been the biggest hurdle for the project.
Latency problem: potential for customer frustration
A leaked memo said, “Latency issues are not yet solvable. Customers may be disappointed if this is not resolved soon.” If this isn’t resolved before the new version of Alexa hits the market, it could be a big blow for Amazon.
Customer satisfaction scores are also lacking
The new Alexa testers had a satisfaction score of just 4.57 out of 7, well below the company’s goal of 5.5. Also, the new Alexa will be incompatible with many older Echo devices, forcing about 3.8 million users to buy new devices.
Limited features and subscription concerns
The new Alexa will launch with only about 300 skills (equivalent features in apps), while the old Alexa had more than 100,000 skills. This can lead to limited usability for customers as well as frustration with the subscription model.
New partnerships and innovative initiatives
According to the document, the new version of Alexa will have partnerships with companies like Uber, OpenTable, Instacart, GrubHub, Ticketmaster and Thumbtack. These features will help users perform tasks like ride booking, restaurant reservation and grocery delivery in a more natural way.
Vision of the future
Amazon’s goal is to transform the new Alexa into an “agent” that can not only answer questions, but also take action for users. Amazon’s top executives say the product will create deeper relationships with users through features like “emotions” and “connections.”
However, the leaked documents show that Alexa’s AI upgrade still has a lot of work to do. Its publication may be delayed until 2025.
What is your opinion? Are you interested in the new Alexa? Or do you think Alexa’s popularity will never return due to latency and limited features?
