Alexa Plus is getting AI updates to respond to complex instructions

Amazon is introducing updates to its Alexa Plus assistant that will allow it to connect with smart home devices in new ways. I am changesAlexa Plus can communicate with tech from Bosch, Delta, Ecovacs, iRobot, Yale Home, Whirlpool, Tapo, Eufy, and others, while sending requests to the appropriate device.

In an example Amazon shared, a person with a washing machine can say, “Alexa, my son’s football jersey can use a deep clean, but the label says cold wash only.” From there, Alexa Plus runs a laundry cycle and makes the right choice. The new integration is powered by Amazon’s new AI tool, which should make it easier for device manufacturers to interact with Alexa Plus, “including those with special abilities that were not previously supported.”

But Amazon is trying to change that by using the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open source protocol that allows AI models to interact with external systems and tools. This will give more brands the ability to connect with Alexa Plus, with Canva, Headspace, Priceline, Lyft, Cengage, Virgin Atlantic, Weekend, and other companies launching the integration later this year.

For example, Priceline will offer customers the ability to search for hotel options and book a trip through Alexa Plus. Priceline, along with Atom Tickets, Cengage, Fandango, and Taskrabbit, will soon support payments through Amazon Wallet.