Amazon’s next-generation “Remarkable” Alexa assistant is set to be powered by Anthropic’s Claude AI, costing $5-10 per month and expected to launch in October just in time for the holidays, according to five sources familiar with the situation as reported by Reuters. Initially, Amazon had planned to use in-house software for the new chat assistant but faced latency issues, leading them to opt for Claude instead, which performed better compared to other competitors. Amazon has not officially confirmed the news but mentioned its use of language models from various partners. The updated voice AI, known internally as Remarkable Alexa, is said to offer advanced features like composing emails, ordering food, and enhanced home automation, among others. However, the shift to a subscription-based model may present challenges for Amazon, as customers are accustomed to the free “classic” Alexa. The final rollout of the new AI may depend on meeting internal benchmarks, according to Reuters’ sources.
