Updated Alexa Plus Gets Advanced AI Capabilities for Smart Home Control

Amazon is launching an update to Alexa Plus, currently in preview, that allows it to connect with smart home devices from Bosch, Delta, Ecovacs, iRobot, Yale Home, Whirlpool, Tapo, Eufy, and others, automatically routing requests to the correct device. In an example, a user can ask Alexa to wash a soccer jersey with a cold wash cycle, and the assistant navigates the washer's options. The new integrations are powered by Amazon's AI developer toolkit, which simplifies connections for device makers. Amazon also adopted the Model Context Protocol, an open-source standard, to enable more brands to interact with Alexa Plus. Canva, Headspace, Priceline, Lyft, Cengage, Virgin Atlantic, and Weekend are launching integrations later this year. Priceline will allow booking through Alexa Plus, and together with Atom Tickets, Cengage, Fandango, and Taskrabbit, will support payments via Amazon Wallet.