Amazon’s New AI-Powered Alexa Could Cost Up to $10 Monthly

Last year, David Limp, Amazon’s former senior vice president of devices and services, hinted at charging for a more advanced version of Alexa. Now, we have an idea of the potential cost. According to a Reuters report, Amazon’s AI-enhanced Alexa could cost between $5 and $10 per month, in addition to your Prime membership.

Sources indicate that Amazon aims to launch the new Alexa in August, in what is described as a “desperate attempt” to revamp the voice assistant. The paid version might allow users to bypass the need to say “Alexa” repeatedly. It will reportedly handle multiple requests in one prompt, such as writing an email and ordering takeout from Uber Eats simultaneously.

The advanced Alexa is also expected to offer learning capabilities, creating routines like turning on a coffee pot when an alarm goes off. This aligns with a CNBC report last month, which mentioned Amazon’s plans for a subscription-based Alexa separate from Prime.

Despite this, Amazon isn’t abandoning the free version of Alexa. Reuters notes that the basic version will still be available but will incorporate new generative AI features. However, the more sophisticated version will be subscription-based, providing personalized shopping advice similar to Amazon’s AI shopping chatbot, Rufus.

When contacted for comment, Amazon referred The Verge to its statement to Reuters: “We have already integrated generative AI into different components of Alexa, and are working hard on implementation at scale — in the over half a billion ambient, Alexa-enabled devices already in homes around the world — to enable even more proactive, personal, and trusted assistance for our customers.”