Amazon’s Alexa to be even more useful in future – and you can thank the pandemic and work from home for that

First launched in the UK in 2016, Amazon’s Alexa has grown to be much more than the virtual assistant that answers simple queries about the weather and time

In future, Alexa could be even more helpful in the home, from turning on the lights automatically to switching off the TV if you aren’t in the room

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Amazon’s Alexa will be even more useful than it is now, such as by turning on the lights automatically. The digital assistant has already had to learn how to answer more questions from students doing homework. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 5:45am, 26 Apr 2022

Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant will become more proactive and expand to be useful in “more places in your life”, the tech giant’s devices boss says.

Dave Limp, the senior vice-president of devices and services at Amazon and the man in charge of Alexa, says a key target for Amazon is to free up people’s time by having the smart assistant take on more “mundane tasks”.

First launched in the UK in 2016, built into Amazon’s Echo smart speakers, Alexa has grown to become compatible with a wide range of other connected devices around the home. This includes televisions and kitchen appliances as well as heating, lighting and home security systems, and as a voice control tool for smartphones and in cars.

Limp says that Alexa has evolved over time, from a basic assistant that can answer transactional queries about the time or weather to a more substantial, often proactive smart home helper.

Dave Limp says a key target for Amazon is to free up people’s time by having Alexa take on more “mundane tasks”. Photo: DPA

He says the pandemic and subsequent increase in time that people have had to spend at home played a part in this, and other changes in Amazon’s wider device and services business.

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