Amazon’s revamped Alexa+ voice assistant, powered by generative AI, is underperforming for many users, despite the company’s claims of a more intuitive and capable experience. Early adopters report unreliable performance, frustrating inaccuracies, and a surprising inability to handle even simple requests effectively. The new system, available to Amazon Prime subscribers since early 2025, is designed to understand natural language and automate tasks, but in practice, it frequently falls short.
The Promise vs. Reality of Generative AI
Amazon introduced Alexa+ with the goal of improving voice recognition and making interactions more conversational. The intent was to move beyond rigid commands toward a more fluid, natural exchange. Instead, many users find themselves wrestling with a system that misinterprets requests, plays the wrong content, or fails to complete tasks altogether.
The problem isn’t simply a matter of glitches; it’s that Alexa+ struggles with basic functionality that older voice assistants handled reliably. Simple music requests often result in the wrong artist, leading to a frustrating guessing game for users. Attempts to play videos on YouTube or streaming services are similarly unreliable, sometimes leading to irrelevant search results or outright failures.
The Struggle to Automate Even Simple Tasks
One user reported that asking Alexa+ to play a specific song by Lucy Dacus required overly precise phrasing (“Play the song ‘Best Guess’ by artist Lucy Dacus on YouTube”) just to get the correct result. More casual requests, like “Play a song by Lucy Dacus,” often triggered a YouTube search instead. Even more complex tasks, like playing a teaser for RuPaul’s Drag Race or launching a show on HBO Max, proved unreliable. The AI frequently claimed to be playing content when nothing was actually running, or directed users to irrelevant settings pages instead.
Amazon Is Falling Behind Competitors
The situation is especially concerning given that other tech companies have made significant strides in AI-powered automation. Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI have all released software that demonstrates a greater ability to navigate apps and websites on behalf of users. Amazon appears to be lagging behind, leaving many Alexa+ users wishing they could replace the built-in assistant with a more reliable alternative.
The current experience is so frustrating that some users are considering removing their Echo Show devices altogether. Until Amazon addresses these fundamental issues, Alexa+ risks becoming a symbol of broken promises in the AI space.
The core takeaway is clear: Alexa+ is not yet ready for prime time. The AI assistant fails to deliver on its potential, leaving users with a frustrating and unreliable experience.
