Amazon's new and improved Alexa experience, Alexa+, starts at $19.99, or free for Prime members. Amazon says that it will roll out in early access next month.

Amazon has announced Alexa Plus, an AI-powered upgrade that promises a smarter, more conversational, and proactive voice assistant.

The biggest surprise at Amazon’s press conference last week was the lack of hardware announcements. Traditionally, Amazon announces dozens of new gadgets at its events, but this time, Amazon spent 70 minutes talking about software. Specifically, Alexa Plus, its new generative AI-powered Alexa voice assistant. And that was exactly the right move.

One of its standout features is the ability to seamlessly manage smart home devices. Amazon is now positioning Alexa+ as a digital assistant that goes beyond simple voice commands. For non-Amazon Prime members, the service is priced at $19.99 per month. It is free for Prime membership subscribers.

Alexa+, Amazon’s revamped version of Alexa was unveiled Wednesday, bringing the popular voice assistant into the artificial intelligence era.

Amazon introduces Alexa+, the next-generation of Alexa that acts as your personal AI assistant, smarter, more conversational, and free with Prime.