Amazon’s AI assistant Alexa+ now works with Angi, Expedia, Square, and Yelp

Amazon is increasing its AI-powered digital assistant Alexa+ with new capabilities. The corporate introduced on Thursday that it’s including 4 new integrations to the service that can enable the assistant to work with Angi, Expedia, Sq., and Yelp beginning in 2026.

These additions enable prospects to ebook motels, get quotes for dwelling providers, and schedule salon appointments, amongst different issues. With Expedia, prospects can evaluate, ebook, and handle resort reservations, or inform Alexa their preferences to get personalised suggestions. (e.g. “Can you discover me pet-friendly motels for this weekend in Chicago?”)

The brand new providers be part of Alexa+’s present integrations with Fodor, OpenTable, Suno, Ticketmaster, Thumbtack, and Uber.

Much like how ChatGPT is now integrating apps into its chatbot, Amazon goals to make it simpler for shoppers to make use of varied on-line providers by means of its digital assistant. As an example, you might ask Alexa to name you an Uber or ebook a desk for dinner with OpenTable.

You can also converse with the AI assistant in pure language, having back-and-forth conversations, refining your request as you go.

Whether or not customers will take to this concept, in fact, stays to be seen.

Nevertheless, Amazon did provide a small glimpse as to how Alexa+ early adopters have been utilizing the integrations, noting that, up to now, dwelling and private service suppliers like Thumbtack and Vagaro have seen “robust” engagement.

Utilizing AI assistants as app platforms is a mannequin that’s being examined throughout the business as one other option to deliver AI to shoppers extra broadly. However it will require customers to adapt to a brand new manner of doing issues, as many are used to partaking with on-line providers by means of the online or cell apps. To achieve success in getting shoppers to vary their habits, utilizing apps by way of AI will have to be seen as being as simple, if not simpler, than the prevailing mannequin.

For that to work, the AI suppliers would wish to a minimum of match the breadth of on-line providers offered by a standard app retailer, which is already a extra curated choice than what’s out there by way of the online. Or, suppliers might want to get superb at suggesting apps to make use of on the proper time, with out seeming overly pushy, as customers can understand unwelcome prompts as advertisements.