- Prime members are getting pushed into Alexa+
- Many users have complained about the compulsory upgrade
- It is still possible to revert back to old Alexa
Early last year, Amazon unveiled Alexa+, a next-gen upgrade designed to take on the likes of ChatGPT and Google Gemini. The rollout of the AI has been pretty slow since then, but now Prime members are being automatically upgraded – and many aren't happy about it.
As spotted by The Verge, numerous Reddit threads are relaying the upgrade message that some Prime members are getting. The upgrade "takes just a few minutes and won't require any action from you", according to the note.
There's no way to opt out of the upgrade – it happens automatically. However, users can still revert back to the old AI if they want to, by saying "Alexa, exit Alexa+" within range of one of their smart speakers or smart displays.
Right from the beginning, Amazon said Alexa+ would be a free perk for Prime users (otherwise costing $19.99 a month – pricing outside the US has yet to be confirmed). This is making good on that promise, but plenty of users aren't best pleased that they're being forced to upgrade.
Broken functions and too many ads
War has been declared. from r/alexa
"It's all the non-consent that’s bothering me right now," writes one Reddit user, while another says that "I don't want an assistant with attitude". There are plenty of people reporting mixed experiences with Alexa+, and reverting back to the old version of Alexa on their smart devices.
In a separate thread, one user tells Amazon to "stop shoving it down my throat", and another complains that Alexa+ can't read out Kindle books aloud like the standard Kindle can. Missing functionality seems to be part of the problem here.
Other complaints about Alexa+ include slow response times, too many ads, and the style of the new voices. The upgraded AI – powered by large language models (LLMs) – is intended to be smarter and more versatile than the standard Alexa.
Whether users are happy about it or not, Amazon clearly sees Alexa+ as the future. The AI bot recently launched on the web, though we're still waiting for the upgrade to come to users, Prime members or not, outside the US.
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