Amazon's Alexa+ AI assistant draws sharp criticism for errors and hallucinations

Amazon has rolled out a paid AI upgrade called Alexa+, marketed as an "agency" that can handle tasks such as food delivery, ride‑hailing and smart‑home control. IT journalist David Pogue tested 135 sample requests in the early‑access program and reported numerous problems. He described Alexa+ as “a blunder and full of errors”, noting frequent hallucinations, endless loops, incorrect pricing, and mis‑understood commands – for example, responding “I’m Alexa, not Shaq!” when asked about an “ASAP” request. Music playback often failed, Spotify integration required re‑login, and Ring camera live feeds were missing despite a subscription. Amazon counters that most users have positive experiences and that many of the issues are being fixed, but the review highlights that Alexa+ is still far from the promised AI performance.

The criticism underscores challenges Amazon faces in its AI‑driven voice‑assistant strategy, contrasting with competitors that are also enhancing their offerings.