Amazon’s CEO says ads could soon be coming to Alexa+ conversations
Amazon could soon insert advertisements into conversations with Alexa+, the company’s AI-powered voice assistant. The proposal, made by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy during an earnings call on Thursday, July 31, is raising concerns among privacy advocates.
According to TechCrunch, Jassy told investors that advertising could help users find products while also opening up a new profit channel for Amazon.
“I think over time, there will be opportunities, as people are engaging in more multi-turn conversations, to have advertising play a role to help people find discovery, and also as a lever to drive revenue,” Jassy said.
Alexa+ AI voice assistant
Alexa+, which has already been made available to millions of Amazon Prime members, is the company’s response to AI voice assistants from the likes of OpenAI and Google. The service improves upon the original Alexa voice assistant thanks to generative AI, which allows it to utilize contextual awareness to hold more complex conversations.
Ads were already present on tools that integrated the original Alexa voice assistant, such as Amazon-branded smart displays and speakers, and were based on a user’s voice activity. And although Amazon used to let users opt out of having their recordings sent to Amazon altogether, the company, in May, began automatically uploading all voice data to its servers with no option to decline.
While it’s still unclear whether conversations with Alexa+ would be used to tailor ads towards users, the question has stirred unease given Amazon’s track record. The fact that research suggests users are more inclined to be candid and disclose personal information with AI chatbots than with search engines or human assistants also raises concerns.
Company shift
Aside from potential ads in Alexa+ conversations, Jassy, who returned to the company in April after two years away, is steering other Amazon products in what some see as a controversial direction.
Amazon’s Ring doorbell cameras, for example, were rebranded under former CEO Liz Hamren during Jassy’s hiatus. Originally billed as a tool for neighborhood safety, Hamren instead changed the product’s mission to “keep people close to what’s important.”
Upon his return, Jassy reverted Ring back to its neighborhood safety roots, a focus that once saw Amazon aid law enforcement in requesting footage from users. Although Amazon ended the policy under Hamren, the company announced in April, with Jassy back at the helm, that it would allow customers to once again share “relevant video with law enforcement to help solve crimes faster and safeguard neighborhoods.”
Amazon’s Ring also settled with the Federal Trade Commission last year. It was forced to pay out $5.6 million over charges it allowed employees and contractors to access private videos of customers. Aside from those associated with Amazon, hackers have likewise accessed the company’s cameras to send harassing audio messages to users.
Jassy is also pushing for the release of a home surveillance drone, which also drew criticism when first announced in 2020, that can alert users to activity deemed suspicious.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
