According to TechCrunch, Amazon told at CES in Las Vegas that 97 percent of devices it has shipped support its AI assistant Alexa+. The company leverages its extensive device footprint and customer familiarity with Alexa to compete in the generative AI market.
Daniel Rausch, vice president of Alexa and Echo at Amazon, stated in an interview at the event, “Ninety-seven percent of devices we ever shipped can support Alexa+.” He provided the latest figures showing Amazon has sold more than 600 million devices worldwide. These devices form the vast majority capable of running the revamped AI assistant without hardware upgrades.
Alexa+ represents Amazon’s entry into the generative AI market, announced early last year. The platform introduces more expressive voices that enhance conversational naturalness. It provides access to world knowledge, enabling responses informed by broad information sources similar to other AI assistants. AI agents within Alexa+ execute tasks on behalf of users, such as calling an Uber or ordering food through integrated services.
Amazon began rolling out Alexa+ access progressively. By the end of June, more than 1 million Alexa customers had gained availability. Since that time, tens of millions of users now have the option to opt in and upgrade to the AI assistant, expanding the user base steadily.
The company has not established a universal launch date for Alexa+ availability to all users. Amazon prioritizes delivery first to all Prime members, ensuring integration within its subscription ecosystem before broader release.
Rausch positioned Alexa as a foundational assistant amid a growing array of AI options. He explained, “I think that there’s going to be a whole range of AI out there for customers. I think that Alexa will be one of the foundational assistants.” He distinguished it from specialist AIs focused on single domains, such as legal assistance, noting that foundational AIs remain highly capable across general tasks.
Rausch detailed Alexa’s competitive strengths rooted in its established presence. He said, “I think some of the advantages Alexa has is the familiarity of customers, the tens of millions of customers already engaging continuously.” The assistant operates in homes through an ambient voice interface, remaining available without activation prompts. This setup uses voice as the most natural interaction method, supporting ongoing user engagement.
