Amazon has launched the Japanese version of its AI assistant Alexa+. Amazon Prime members can use it at no additional charge.
Amazon announced the release of the Japanese version of its new AI assistant, Alexa+. It offers more natural conversation and a broader range of tasks than the traditional Alexa, and Prime members will be able to use it without an additional monthly fee. The paid service is expected to cost ¥3,000 per month.
Alexa+ can retrieve the latest news in real time and provide responses based on information registered in advance. Its features include schedule management, anniversary reminders and recommendations for preferred restaurants and books. Information entered in advance is reflected in responses during conversations. The service also supports extracting information from documents and using data from uploaded PDFs and photos.
Information can be entered through smartphone or tablet apps, or by sending an email to a designated address. Compatible devices include the Amazon Echo and Fire TV series, as well as televisions equipped with Fire TV. Users can join through a waiting-list registration process or email invitations sent to new and existing users.
The delay of approximately 1.5 years compared with early access to the US and UK English versions has been attributed to the need to ensure the quality of Japanese-language support and meet the requirements of the Japanese market.