- Outgoing Amazon exec Dave Limp thinks Amazon will “completely” begin charging to make use of Alexa.
- He pointed to the massive prices of operating AI fashions as the explanation why.
- However he acknowledged that Alexa might want to drastically enhance earlier than that occurs.
The rising era of “superhuman” AI fashions are so costly to run that Amazon may cost you to make use of its Alexa assistant someday.
In an interview with Bloomberg, outgoing Amazon govt Dave Limp stated that he “completely” believes that Amazon may begin charging a subscription charge for Alexa, and pointed to the price of coaching and operating generative synthetic intelligence fashions for the sensible speaker’s new AI options as the explanation why.
“If you begin utilizing these (AI fashions) loads, the fee to coach the mannequin, and the fee for inference of the mannequin within the cloud, is substantial,” he stated.
He added that the present model of Alexa will stay free, and {that a} paid model would want to exhibit extra superior capabilities and usefulness.
Limp stated that the corporate had not mentioned what worth it might cost for the subscription, including that “the Alexa you already know and love at this time goes to stay free” however {that a} future subscription-based model is “not years away.”
Generative AI fashions require enormous quantities of computing energy, with analysts estimating that OpenAI’s ChatGPT prices $700,000 a day or extra to run.
Amazon has guess large on AI, with the corporate unveiling a new, AI-powered model of Alexa alongside up to date variations of its Echo Frames and Carrerra sensible glasses final week. It has additionally simply invested as much as $4 billion into Anthropic, a rival to OpenAI.
Limp, Amazon’s senior VP of gadgets and providers, introduced he would step down from his position on the firm after 13 years a month earlier than the launch of the brand new merchandise. Insider’s Ashley Stewart reported that former Microsoft exec Panos Panay is predicted to exchange Limp.
Amazon didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from Insider, made outdoors regular working hours.
