Amazon.com is planning an artificial intelligence-driven overhaul of its Alexa voice assistant and plans to charge a monthly subscription fee to offset technology costs, CNBC reported on Wednesday.
The online retail giant will launch a more conversational version of the voice assistant later this year, positioning it to better compete with AI-powered chatbots from Microsoft and Alphabet's Google, the report said, citing two people familiar with the matter, Reuters reported.
Amazon introduced Alexa in 2014 but has not found a consistent means to make it profitable, instead driving shoppers to the company's website for more purchases.