Next-gen Alexa? Amazon sets date for February mystery event

Amazon has long been working on integrating generative AI into Alexa. While it has been a minute since we’ve heard anything about the souped-up digital assistant, maybe will get an update later this month at an Amazon announcement event.

The e-commerce giant has begun sending out invitations to media for an upcoming event on February 26. The event is set to take place in New York City and will start at 10 PM ET. Appearing at the press conference will be Amazon’s hardware chief, Panos Panay, and he’ll be accompanied by the firm’s devices and services team.

The invitation doesn’t offer any details about what this showcase will be about. It only says “See what’s next,” followed by the company’s logo, event date, and a blue background with curvy lines.

It’s anyone’s guess as to what will be unveiled at this event. But as mentioned earlier, it’s been a while since we last got an update about the new Alexa. It wouldn’t be too surprising if the company was setting up this event to put a spotlight on it. If this is the case, it’s possible we could also see some new Alexa-powered hardware like smart speakers. Of course, this is all speculation and we’ll have to wait to learn more.

Keep in mind that the company does plan to charge for the new and improved Alexa. Reports have suggested that Amazon may charge a subscription fee of up to $10 per month.