Apple has faced considerable criticism for promoting Apple Intelligence while not delivering much in the way of substance. Now, it appears that Amazon may find itself in a similar predicament.
A recent report based on internal documents suggests that Alexa+, Amazon’s competitor to Apple’s new Siri, will launch lacking many of its anticipated features…
The Apple Intelligence Fiasco
Apple pledged a more conversational Siri along with numerous enhancements, yet what was released feels like nothing more than minor tweaks.
The disparity between Apple’s extravagant promotional materials and the actual product is so significant that the company had to retract an iPhone 16 advertisement centered around a feature that is, at this stage, nonexistent. I won’t delve into every detail of this saga — just a few recent headlines suffice:
And Now Alexa+ Is Following Suit
Amazon’s showcase for Alexa+ was equally impressive, touting a truly intelligent and practical voice assistant.
A demonstration video featured Alexa booking concert tickets, making restaurant reservations, and messaging a babysitter. “She’s useful,” Panay asserted, conducting what he described as a live interaction with the updated software. He showcased a natural conversation flow — a departure from the stiff, single-response exchanges Alexa users know too well.
However, The Washington Post reports that Alexa+ will be mostly non-functional at its launch next week.
According to internal documents shared with The Washington Post, several new features previewed during the February event won’t go live until two months after Monday’s launch, with some needing even more time. The features that aren’t ready for public use yet include ordering food via Grubhub based on conversation with Alexa+ about cravings or Alexa+ recognizing family members visually and reminding them of tasks like walking the dog.
That brings us to the promised highlight features showcased during the announcement.
Additionally, while users will have the option to upload documents for Alexa+ to summarize, there’s a notable privacy issue: users won’t be able to delete those documents from Amazon’s servers afterward. The company reportedly anticipates several weeks to resolve this situation.
Lastly, Alexa+ won’t be accessible via standard smart speakers; it will only function on newer Echo Show devices.
DMN’s Perspective
This is a complex issue.
Chatbots like ChatGPT have undoubtedly given the public a skewed perception of how intelligent generative AI truly is. Their output may sound intelligent, knowledgeable, and reliable, but in reality, it is none of those things. It primarily relies on statistical models that predict the next likely word based on an analysis of human-written text in the relevant context.
Developing an AI system that can convincingly simulate intelligence, especially when dealing with personal data, is an entirely different challenge, and it’s evident that both Apple and Amazon have made promises they are currently unable to fulfill.
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