Alexa (service)
Overview
Alexa is a virtual assistant AI technology developed by Amazon, first used in the Amazon Echo smart speakers. It is capable of voice interaction, music playback, making to-do lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, and providing real-time information, such as weather, traffic, sports, news, among others. Alexa can also control several smart devices using itself as a home automation system. Users are able to extend the Alexa capabilities by installing "skills" (additional functionality developed by third-party vendors, in other settings more commonly called apps) such as weather programs and audio features.
Development
The development of Alexa started in the early 2010s as a secret project within Amazon's Lab126 hardware division in Sunnyvale, California. The project was named after the ancient library of Alexandria, reflecting the company's aim to make Alexa a "source of all knowledge". Alexa was first released in November 2014 alongside the Echo.
Functionality
Alexa's functionality is achieved through its voice recognition and natural language understanding capabilities. When a user issues a command to Alexa, the device sends the user's voice command to Amazon's cloud servers, where the command is interpreted and a response is formulated. The response is then sent back to the device, which plays it out to the user.
Skills
Skills are additional functionalities that can be added to Alexa. They are developed by third-party developers using the Alexa Skills Kit. As of 2020, there are over 100,000 skills available in the Alexa Skills Store. These skills range from ordering food from restaurants, requesting rides from ride-sharing services, playing games, and more.
Privacy Concerns
There have been several privacy concerns regarding Alexa, particularly in relation to the storage and use of voice recordings by Amazon. In 2019, it was revealed that Amazon employs thousands of people who listen to voice recordings from Alexa devices as part of the company's efforts to improve the service. This has raised concerns about user privacy and data security.