Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa is to automatically offer skills in the future that could be practical for the user according to an algorithm. The function is already available in English for users in the USA. For the time being, Amazon left it open whether and when the feature will also be offered in Germany.

According to a blog entry, Amazon sees a usage scenario among other things Questions about the weather. If the user asks about the weather conditions at a certain location on a smart display with Alexa integration, Alexa could ask: “Would you like to use EarthCam to see a live image from there?” If, however, according to Amazon, the user asks how long tea should be brewed, Alexa first answers with “five minutes” and then offers to set a corresponding timer Amazon another example: When asked when the Second World War ended, Amazon could offer a history quiz on the “Ultimate History Quiz” skill. From Amazon’s blog entry it is not clear whether only skills are offered that the user has installed himself.

Alexa is constantly learning Skills are additional functions for Amazon’s language assistant Alexa, which are developed by independent manufacturers. They often make it possible to access certain apps and functionalities. For example, users can integrate music playback via Spotify or the control of Hue lamps via a skill in Alexa.

Amazon is continuously revising its Alexa language assistant with new functions. In September, Amazon announced that Alexa could use her voice to tell if a child was speaking to her. Based on this, Alexa can offer certain content and hide others.

Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa should in future be able to recognize whether a child is speaking to her and, as a result, only offer certain content. A fundamental goal that Amazon is pursuing: Alexa should no longer only be suitable for unloading voice commands, but should also be able to have natural conversations. The demand for supposedly useful skills is a further step in this direction.

(dahe)