Amazon has introduced a new feature that allows users to order food from Grubhub and Uber Eats through Alexa without having to engage in a rigid, step-by-step ordering process. This change is significant because it aims to make the experience more conversational and natural, similar to ordering in a restaurant.
The feature, which is part of Amazon's Alexa Plus service, allows users to modify their orders, add items, or change their minds without having to wait for Alexa to finish talking. This is made possible by Alexa's new ability to understand and respond to natural language.
According to Amazon, the entire process is designed to be conversational, with Alexa stepping in only when users need help or have questions. The update is currently available to Alexa Plus subscribers with Echo Show 8 devices and larger, which will display changes to the order in real time.
To use the feature, users need to connect their Grubhub or Uber Eats account through the Alexa app. They can do this by selecting More > Alexa+ Store > Food & Reservations, and saved restaurants and past orders will automatically sync to their Alexa.
Amazon's Senior Tarbell Fellow said in a press release, "For years, voice assistants have operated on a call-and-response model: you ask, it answers. Now when you start an order, you'll see a new conversational window where you can naturally explore, decide, and order with minimal back-and-forth with Alexa."
The company has invested heavily in revamping its Alexa assistant, rebuilding it into the AI-powered Alexa Plus that understands and responds to natural language. The hope is that the more conversational and intelligent assistant will adapt to users' needs and help Amazon stay relevant in the crowded AI assistant market.
When Amazon says it wants to make Alexa more conversational, that means we can expect more AI-powered services that mimic human-like interactions. This could have significant implications for Nigerian tech startups, which are already exploring the potential of conversational AI in areas like customer service and e-commerce.
