AI & Models
Amazon updates Alexa+ with new personality customization options
Amazon launched three new personality styles for its Alexa+ AI assistant, though the feature is currently limited to the U.S. market.
On Wednesday, Amazon launched three new personality styles for Alexa+, which is the company’s AI assistant. This new feature allows users to adjust the assistant’s tone and behavior. The three initial styles are Brief, Chill, and Sweet. In the Brief style, Alexa responds with shorter, direct responses, while the Chill style sees the assistant answer more like a laid-back friend. Enabling the Sweet style makes Alexa warmer and more enthusiastic, offering encouragement and positivity.
Amazon states that these new styles are built on five specific dimensions that contribute to its personality: expressiveness, emotional openness, formality, directness, and humor. Each of the three styles represents specific levels of all five factors, changing how the AI assistant responds to user queries. For instance, the Brief style is not just concise, but also casual, direct, and uses minimal humor. To change Alexa’s style, users can either speak to the AI assistant via a device, such as an Echo speaker, or access the feature in the Alexa app’s Device Settings under “Personality Style.” The company notes that these three styles are only the first to ship, and others will be on the way in the future.
This move by Amazon follows similar efforts by competitors in the artificial intelligence space to give users more control over conversational tones. In December, OpenAI launched new ChatGPT features to allow users to adjust the AI’s base style and tone in terms of its warmth, enthusiasm, and use of emojis, among other things. Despite these options, some users have complained that the latest model is too reassuring by default. While these features address user demand for customizable interactions, the industry is also facing intense scrutiny over the psychological effects of AI personalities. For instance, OpenAI’s GPT-4o led some users to develop an unhealthy dependency on the technology. In a few cases, it even exacerbated the user’s existing mental health issues, leading to crises or even suicides, multiple lawsuits have alleged.
At present, these new personality customization features are only available to users in the U.S. market.
Why it matters
Amazon is introducing personality customization for its AI assistant, Alexa+, in response to user demand for control over AI tone, while navigating the complex issue of AI personality and user dependency.