Panay says that the improved Alexa can understand tone and the environment around it, and adjust its responses on the fly. “She’s been trained in a couple of different ways, from EQ to humor to understanding,” he added. “She understands I’m a little bit nervous, she’s trying to calm me.”
Aside from tasks like creating quizzes from study guides and crafting basic travel itineraries, Alexa+ can respond to queries such as “What’s the best pizza nearby?” Answers are informed by what’s in Alexa’s “memory” and preferences that Alexa has noted over time.