Amazon has announced that the anticipated AI-driven upgrade for Alexa will not be available until at least a month after a showcase scheduled for February 26, as reported by The Washington Post. This delay is largely attributed to concerns over the new assistant providing inaccurate responses during testing.

An unnamed Amazon insider revealed that the launch could be pushed to “March 31 or later” due to these ongoing challenges. The upgraded version of Alexa may be associated with a subscription model, featuring capabilities such as adopting a unique personality, recalling prior conversations, ordering food, or hailing a taxi. This new iteration was initially slated for release as a free trial later this month, according to internal documents referenced by the Post.

The information regarding this setback follows months of speculation suggesting that Amazon has been having difficulty implementing its plans to enhance Alexa with generative AI technology. The company had announced in 2023 that this transformation would occur over several months, yet progress has not been made. The launch has already been delayed from a proposed late 2024 rollout due to feedback from beta testers indicating that responses were slow, rigid, and less effective than expected. An immediate comment from Amazon on this matter was not received by The Verge.

In parallel, Apple is reportedly facing challenges with its own upgrade to Siri, which has been anticipated in iOS 18.4. However, it may see its features scaled back or postponed entirely until the release of iOS 18.5, potentially arriving as soon as May, according to a recent report from Bloomberg. Meanwhile, Google’s Gemini-powered digital assistant continues to maintain a significant lead in the advancement of generative AI for older smartphone assistants.

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