OWNERS of Alexa powered speakers have suddenly woken up to an unexpected new voice – and not everyone is happy about it.
Last year, Amazon revealed a huge upgrade for the much-loved digital assistant.
Availability has slowly been rolling out gradually across the world with Prime subscribers able to opt in for free.
But in the last few days a number of users have reported that Alexa‘s voice was automatically upgraded.
Alexa+ uses AI to make it talk like a human.
It should be far superior to the original Alexa which had very specific and general responses.
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An email has purportedly been going around to users whose Alexa has been switched over.
But it still took some by surprise.
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“My device just started speaking with a difference voice and I immediately did not like it,” one person complained on Reddit.
“Based on the above, it’s clear that one of their goals is a more natural flow to the conversation, but that’s precisely what I don’t want.
“I don’t ever want to forget, for even a second, that I’m talking to a robot.”
Another yelled: “STOP SHOVING IT DOWN MY THROAT!”
A third added: “I took a nap today and when I woke up, my Alexa was updated.
“I knew immediately because I told Alexa to snooze and she responded with a different voice.”
Alexa+ costs $19.99 per month (exact UK price is still yet to be announced by predicted to be between £16 and £20).
But if you have an Amazon Prime subscription it’s available at no extra cost.
The email going around to those being automatically upgraded says that “the upgrade takes just a few minutes and won’t require any action from you”.
Fortunately, if you don’t like Alexa+ you’re not stuck with it.
The message says you can revert back to the old Alexa.
All you have to do is say: “Alexa, exist Alexa+”.
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Here’s what tech industry expert Paolo Pescatore, of PP Foresight, had to say minutes after Alexa+ was announced last year.
“Taking AI to the masses,” Paolo explained.
“There’s a lot riding on this revamp service given the lengthy delays and to justify the huge investments poured into AI and everything else.
“Ultimately consumers have not shown a greater willingness to use features beyond basic requests.
“We are now starting to see meaningful developments in the world of AI that promise to offer users a personalised experience.
“The biggest question is whether users are ready, given their early experiences and concerns around security and trust.
“These factors still remain huge barriers to wider adoption.
“If executed well, should resonate with customers rather than getting users to fork out for another additional monthly fee.
“All of these latest moves reinforce the importance of Prime and providing users with a one stop shop for nearly everything.
“A big moment for the new devices and services chief Panos Panay.”
Picture Credit: Sean Keach / The Sun