Alexa+ — I have 4 big questions about Amazon's new AI assistant

Last week, Amazon announced Alexa+, its new-and-improved voice assistant that will reside in millions of smart speakers around the world.

This new Alexa will be able to do everything from create shopping lists to ordering you an Uber to scanning your kid’s school calendar and automatically sending you reminders.

Alexa+ is due to roll out in a few weeks, at which point we’re going to put it through its paces to see just how well it works. Having attended Amazon's event, there were a few things that impressed me about Alexa+. But before it launches, I have three big questions that will go a long way to deciding how successful it will be.

How will people discover what Alexa+ can do?

Alexa as we know it has been around for nearly 11 years, and while it’s probably the most-used voice assistant, it’s not used for a lot.

One of the chief failings with the original Alexa (and Siri and Google Assistant) is that you have to use pretty specific language, or else you get an error along the lines of “sorry, I didn’t understand that.”

Even when you are clear, there are plenty of times when Alexa simply doesn’t hear you correctly.

As a result, Alexa is mostly used for things like setting timers in the kitchen, playing music or turning on your smart lights. And that’s the way it’s been for several years now.

So, the millions of people who have Alexa in their homes now could potentially have to re-learn how to use what in their minds is a pretty limited assistant.

And, the fact that Alexa+ is in theory capable of doing so much, it’s hard to convey that in simple terms. One possibility is for Amazon to use Alexa suggestions — you know, when it says “by the way, did you know I can also do…” but if you’re like me, you’ve turned off that feature, because I never needed or wanted it to do those things.

If Amazon does Alexa+ right, you will be able to do all sorts of things via simple commands using natural language. And the redesigned Alexa app and new software for compatible Alexa Show devices will guide you along.

How will it work on non-screen Alexa devices?

At launch, Alexa+ will only work on the Echo Show 8, Echo Show 10, Echo Show 15, and Echo Show 21, as many of its new abilities require the use of a screen to, say, show your grocery list or a list of available Uber rides.

But, as popular as they are, Amazon’s smart displays are just a small portion of all of the other non-screen Alexa smart speakers. I can’t imagine how many Echo Dots there are in existence.

So, until Amazon figures out how to convey that visual information into something that’s easily digestible when spoken, Alexa+ is going to be unavailable for the majority of people who own Alexa devices.

Can Alexa+ change the way we shop?

When Alexa (and its line of smart speakers) initially launched, Amazon envisioned it as yet another vehicle through which people would buy things — “Alexa, order me a TV” — but that never really came to fruition, which is why the Alexa division has suffered huge financial losses over the years.

Alexa+ looks to make that purchasing process more natural, and through a wider variety of products and services. Amazon reasons that if you can use more conversational language to ask for what you want, you’re more likely to buy something through its voice assistant.

And, because it’s connected to third-party services such as Uber, Doordash, and OpenTable, you’ll be able to use Alexa+ to order a wider variety of things than you would with Alexa 1.0. If I can say “Alexa, order me a pizza” and get options other than Dominos, I’ll be impressed.

I’m also really intrigued with the option to create price alerts. If Alexa+ could save me money by letting me know when something I really want — or need — goes on sale, then it might just pay for itself.

However, I still have my doubts. One of the examples I saw during the Alexa+ demo was ordering a tennis racket. I can get all the product information in the world online for sporting goods, but there’s no replacement for actually holding something in your hands.

​​Who’s going to pay for it?

Then, there’s the cost of Alexa+ itself: $19.99 a month. That’s the same that Google is charging for Gemini Advanced. However, you can get Alexa+ for free if you’re an Amazon Prime member. (Let’s see how long it takes Amazon to raise the annual subscription.)

But, if you sign up for Google One AI Premium ($19.99/month), you can get it integrated into Gmail, GDocs, as well as 2TB of Google Drive storage. Admittedly, Gemini has a different feature set than Alexa+ — you can’t order an Uber through Google’s AI — but it’s built into things that a lot of use far more often.

Until Alexa+ can really prove its worth, I don’t know how many people will throw their cash at Amazon just to use its AI voice assistant.

Alexa+ Outlook

While I did get a chance to see Alexa+ in action at the launch event, it was in small, controlled settings. And, while Alexa+ is being pitched as the ultimate daily assistant in your home, Amazon will have to convince people to use it on their phones, where Apple and Google have already established their AI presences.

The real test will come when Alexa+ is released for everyone, who will undoubtedly try and use it in ways that Amazon never expected. Or worse — people won’t use it at all.

More from Tom's Guide

• Alexa+ devices — here's the gadgets that will (and won't) work
• You can get Alexa+ early — here’s how to sign up
• Amazon Alexa+ announced — here's everything it can do