Amazon Introduces Alexa Custom Assistant For In-Car Apps
Amazon unveiled Alexa Custom Assistant on Friday (Jan. 15), a product that allows companies to create customized artificial intelligence (AI) assistants to match their “brand personality” and meet their clients' needs, according to an announcement.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), the international auto manufacturer, is the inaugural Alexa Custom Assistant client. It has already started making the roadmap for the build-out of an intelligent assistant under its brand to be used in some vehicles.
“Our customers expect to easily connect with their digital lifestyles wherever they go, and today we responded with plans to offer new intelligent experiences built on Alexa’s world-class voice AI technology,” Mark Stewart, chief operating officer of FCA, North America, said in the announcement.
According to Amazon, the Alexa Custom Assistant decreases the expense and complexity of putting smart assistants into consumer electronics, vehicles, smart properties, mobile programs, video games and different digital experiences.
The company says the assistant is “based on constantly-improving spoken language understanding, intent routing and response orchestration to provide a natural, intelligent and conversational interface.”
Alexa Custom Assistant also lets the brand’s assistant and Alexa work together to answer customers' questions. Advanced AI allows for the feature, ensuring that each ask is provided to the assistant that can offer the “most relevant and delightful experience,” according to the announcement.
In the event that a client wants Alexa to roll down a vehicle window, for example, the request will be sent to the brand’s assistant. But if the client requests that the brand’s assistant plays an audio book, that task will be sent to Alexa.
Separately, in September, Amazon announced that it had debuted a service that enables property managers to implement and supervise Alexa-powered smart devices in their properties. Alexa for Residential lets residents set timers and alarms, play music, receive news and weather updates, and make other voice commands from the Echo devices in their units.