What text-based Alexa can do
Some users in the US will be invited to enable the new feature. Through messages, Alexa will be able to search for products on Amazon and across the web, manage shopping lists, compare products, track prices and check order status. Users will also be able to send a photo of an item or a person wearing clothes to find similar products on Amazon.
Amazon expects Alexa to learn users’ preferences over time and recommend relevant products. Those who do not receive an invitation can join a waitlist. The company says it will make the feature available to a wider audience in the coming weeks.
Amazon is developing its own text-based AI agent as interest in consumer assistants grows. In September, delivery service DoorDash launched a text-based agent of its own, and last month said third-party agents had placed only a few hundred orders on the platform in total. DoorDash plans to continue developing its own assistant.
Dataist’s take: Amazon is offering shoppers a messaging-based way to interact with Alexa while also restricting third-party agents’ access to its website. For now, the feature is available only to some users in the US, and the company has not said when it will complete the rollout.
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