Skip to main content

Alexa’s bigger ‘brain’ is getting new skills, natural conversation, and memory

The digital assistant Alexa is just got smarter and potentially easier to use. Just a few days after a presentation at the International World Wide Web Conference in Lyon, France, in which Amazon revealed that its platform would soon be able to better remember information, the company unveiled a new feature for U.S. users called “Remember This,” which is available to use as of Tuesday, May 1. As the name suggests, the functionality allows you to ask Alexa to store key information that you may need again in the future, either by  telling the assistant to “remember” or “make a note.”

For example, you can now say, “Alexa, make a note that Amy is going to China in October,” or “Alexa, remember that I kept the extra blankets in the attic,” or “Alexa, remember Matthew’s teacher’s name is Ms. Sally.” Then, when you need a bit of help jogging your memory, you can just ask Alexa, “When is Amy going to China?” She’ll tell  you, “This is what you told me: Amy is going to China in October.”

Recommended Videos

Moving forward, we should also be able to enjoy more natural conversations without having to voice the “Alexa” prompt, and merge commerce recommendations into everyday exchanges.

These evolutionary changes were first detailed by Ruhi Sarikaya, the head of the Alexa Brain Group, in a developer blog post that gave more context to the announcement. The department’s primary mission is to make Alexa smarter and more engaging, while making it easier for users to access tens of thousands of Alexa Skills, and training the assistant to retain and utilize contextual information.

Memory is likely to be the most useful new feature for most users. In this regard, Alexa is still trailing behind Google Assistant, which has had a remember feature for some time, but Amazon is catching up fast.

In practical terms, it’s a pretty important step in the life of the digital assistant, while also removing the need for flighty users to shout at their smart speakers all the time. Alexa will now be able to understand and follow conversational questions as well as follow-up questions. The feature is called “Context Carryover,” and is expected to be available soon in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Examples cited by Sarikaya included the ability to inquire about a performer’s work, followed by a request to play that recording, as well as asking follow-up questions involving weather, traffic and other commute-related inquiries.

One slightly insidious feature introduced by Amazon is known to its developers as “Skills Arbitration.” In his example, Sarikaya asked Alexa how to remove an oil stain from a shirt. Alexa’s response: “Here is Tide Stain Remover” — a skill created and launched by the multinational consumer goods manufacturer Proctor and Gamble. It’s clearly another way for Amazon to insert the potential for commerce into the platform — brands are already working on creating skills to match popular consumer inquiries. It essentially means that Alexa is being viewed by Amazon as a primary function to influence how people shop, order, and consume all things. However, Sarikaya insists the feature is simply part of Amazon’s desire for the Alexa experience to be “friction-free.”

Updated on May 1: Remember This is now live for Alexa users in the U.S.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
For Get Caught Reading Month, let Alexa suggest a book
Woman in bed looking toward Echo Dot.

May is celebrated as Get Caught Reading Month -- a campaign that promotes reading awareness and helps get noses off the internet and into a good book. Technology might be part of the reason fewer people are reading than ever before, but it can also be a tool to help you find a novel, magazine, or audiobook that fits your personal tastes. And if you have an Alexa-enabled smart device, you've got the next best thing to a knowledgeable librarian. Let's take a closer look at Get Caught Reading Month, why it matters, and how Alexa can help you find a good book to read this spring.
What is Get Caught Reading Month?

Get Caught Reading is an annual campaign founded by the Association of American Publishers in 1999. The group works to educate the public about the appeal of books and other forms of literature and tries to get as many folks as possible to enjoy the old-school form of entertainment. Eventually, May was designated as the official Get Caught Reading Month, and a handful of big celebrities have lent their name to the cause -- including L.L Cool J, Keira Knightley, Alicia Keys, and more.

Read more
Alexa launches Grow a Tree Skill for Earth Day
A worker replanting a tree outside.

April is Earth Month, and in honor of the celebration, Amazon is teaming up with the environmental charity One Tree Planted. Through this partnership, Amazon will donate money to the charity to help with its reforestation campaign. The partnership will culminate in $1 million dollars donated, 1 million trees planted, and additional money from Alexa users for the rest of 2022.

If you’re not familiar with the One Tree Planted organization, it is a charity that has planted over 40 million trees since 2014. Since trees are essential in creating clean air and water, as well as a healthy environment, One Tree Planted wants to make it easy for anyone to help plant more. The organization has also been an AmazonSmile partner organization that allows Amazon customers to quickly donate to the charity when shopping on Amazon.com.

Read more
Amazon fall hardware event: Home robot, flying drone, and new Alexa devices
Everything announced at the fall Amazon event.

Amazon didn't disappoint at its annual fall September event, where the company announced a slew of new devices. Notably, there was no refresh of its Echo smart speaker line, which makes sense given it was refreshed in a tremendous way at last year's event. Nevertheless, there was no shortage of exciting product announcements that covered the gamut.

New products mostly centered around the smart home, including an ambitious Alexa-powered robot called Astro, as well as a couple of neat smart displays that aim to help families stay connected with one another. There's a ton to unpack, but here is all the exciting news to come out from Amazon's September 2021 event.
Everything announced at the Amazon event
Similar to last year's show, the Amazon event was a private event that was invite only. The livestream had plenty of announcements that covered Amazon and it various properties, like Ring and Blink. Unlike previous years, this Amazon event was strictly a smart home affair.
Amazon Smart Thermostat

Read more