Alexa+ – the upgraded AI assistant – has continued its international rollout and will be fast tracked for Australia before the end of 2026. It will offer smarter, more conversational interactions and be able to complete more complicated tasks.
It is already available in the US. UK, Canada, Mexico, Italy, Spain, Germany and Austria in an early access program with an additional 10 countries receiving Alexa+ next year.
But at the Delivering The Future event in London it was announced Australia had been moved up the list to get Alexa_ before the end of 2026,
Alexa+ is tailored for each country which is why Amazon has taken a staggered approach to its release.
For example, in France, Alexa+ will know everything about the debate between pain au chocolat and chocolatine.
And it will also know the ingredients for ratatouille and pissaladière.
In Australia, we’re hoping Alexa+ will be across favourites like Vegemite and know what a “shoey” is.
Alexa+ has ambient intelligence which means it’s always there when you need it and fades into the background when you don’t.
It also operates across devices and available wherever you need it whether you’re out and about or at home.
Users can talk to Alexa+ like a person and change topics and have a conversation without having to repeat the Alexa wake word each time.
It can also help with complex tasks and remember the context of discussions and pick them up on an Echo device, Fire TV, on a browser and on the Alexa app.
So you can start a conversation at home and pick it on the way to work on an app and continue on your laptop when you reach your destination.
But the biggest change is the Alexa+ won’t just give you information, it can act on your behalf and work with service customers and complete tasks like ordering a birthday gift and sending a party invitation to your friends.
Depending on the partnerships in various countries, Alexa+ will be able to book a table at a restaurant or call around for appliance repair quotes.
But it also has to feel authentically local and not just understand the language but also the local culture.
The Alexa+ plus deployed in Italy, France and other parts of Europe will be vastly different to that in the US – and Australia.
Amazon has also made privacy a priority and offers transparent controls at your fingertips.
There is an Alexa Privacy dashboard which allows users to listen to exactly what Alexa heard, review attachments you’ve shared and change how long voice recordings are stored.
* Stephen Fenech travelled to London as a guest of Amazon
