Online juggernaut Amazon Inc. unveiled its next generation of Kindle, Ring and Echo devices, among other gadgets, that are all powered by artificial intelligence and connected to Alexa+, its AI-infused personal assistant, which made its debut in February.
The lineup, announced at a presentation and showcase in New York, includes new cameras for its Ring video monitoring device with a new AI facial recognition feature that allows users to register friends and family and notify them who is at the front door.
Amazon unveiled four new Echo devices revamped with Alexa+ that serve up personalized insights like whether the user left the front door unlocked after midnight. The Seattle-based company also announced a series of Alexa+-infused Fire TVs that allow for more personalized searches like finding a specific scene in a movie or getting commentary about last night's football game.
The presentation Tuesday was the first big product event for Panos Panay, who joined Amazon in 2023 to head up the company's devices and services teams after a 19-year career at Microsoft where he served as chief product officer.
Panay told the audience of several hundred journalists and bloggers that Alexa+ and artificial intelligence are allowing technology to work "in the background when you don't.”
“Products creating subtle shifts in all our behavior, driven by AI, integrated into the hardware,” Panay said. “And flowing natural through the products themselves. Whether it’s a camera catching what you missed. Or your Fire TV updating you on a game. Or your Kindle remembering exactly where you left off.”
