Alexa Custom Assistant Announced

 Was expecting something like this, now here it is, will this be widely used?   Implications? Check out what Chrysler is doing.   Introduction below:

Announcing Alexa Custom Assistant

Learn how you can create intelligent assistants tailored to your brand personality and customer needs leveraging Alexa’s advanced AI today. ... 

For the first time, Amazon enables companies to access Alexa’s advanced AI to build their own intelligent assistants with Alexa Custom Assistant; Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is the first Automotive OEM to implement in vehicles

Today, Amazon announced Alexa Custom Assistant, a comprehensive new solution that lets device makers and service providers create intelligent assistants tailored to their brand personality and customer needs. The Alexa Custom Assistant is built directly on Alexa technology, providing companies access to world class, always-improving voice AI technology, customized with unique wake word, voice, skills, and capabilities. The brand’s assistant also seamlessly coexists and cooperates with Alexa, providing customers the benefits of an intelligent assistant that is their product and services expert, while Alexa provides the familiar experiences they already know and love. The Alexa Custom Assistant reduces the cost and complexity of building intelligent assistants into automobiles, consumer electronics, mobile applications, smart properties, video games, and a variety of other digital experiences.   

Global automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is the first Alexa Custom Assistant customer, and has already begun the planning process for the development of an FCA-branded intelligent assistant for integration in select vehicle models. The company’s work builds on existing Alexa integrations in its vehicles around the world.... " 

Amazon Opens Assistant AI Tech

 Have now run a car assistant for several years.  After a few bumps it works fine.       Have yet to see any true innovation in car use, just sharing some voice and music services.  What other customizations are useful?   Note the use of the 'Core AI platform',  or 'Alexa Custom Assistant' which implies a deeper technology reach, mentions video games.   Looking for a way to better monetize the AI investment.  See more on the tech at the Amazon Dev Site.       Via Walter Riker

Amazon opens Alexa AI tech for the first time so car makers can build custom assistants

Amazon is letting automakers tailor custom voice experiences using its AI platform  By Nick Statt@nickstatt   in TheVerge

Amazon will now allow third-party companies the unprecedented privilege of accessing the core artificial intelligence underpinning its Alexa digital assistant, a first for the company’s AI platform.

While Amazon has allowed companies to build skills for Alexa and allows pretty much any consumer electronic device maker to integrate Alexa into a compatible product, the e-commerce giant has not licensed the underlying AI tech for use in other assistant-like products. Amazon is calling the new offering Alexa Custom Assistant, and it’s starting out with a focus on the auto market.

Amazon is doing so to allow not just automobile manufacturers, but any company with a need for a digital voice assistant more control over the software experience. This will allow companies to create their own wake words and custom voices and capabilities Amazon says will “co-exist” with Alexa as it’s designed to work today. For the auto market, this provides Amazon the added benefit of having its software built directly into cars. ...'

Also the article mentions that Amazon is making this available for more than just car makers.