Artificial intelligence expands Alexa+ control in smart home systems

Alexa

Alexa - daily_creativity / Shutterstock.com

Amazon revealed a significant update to Alexa+, which strengthens the virtual assistant’s integration with artificial intelligence (AI) to execute more elaborate home commands. The new feature, initially available in preview version, generated an increase of more than 600% in searches for “Alexa” on Google on July 24, 2026, indicating great public interest.

With this update, Alexa+ now autonomously connects to several devices from renowned manufacturers such as Bosch, Delta, Ecovacs, iRobot, Yale Home, Whirlpool, Tapo and Eufy. The assistant identifies which equipment should perform the task, eliminating the need for specific user commands.

According to Amazon, the main goal is to provide a more intuitive and fluid interaction. Users will be able to talk to the assistant in a way similar to a human conversation, instead of using predefined phrases.

A practical example demonstrated by the company involves a washing machine compatible with the platform. The user can say, “Alexa, my son’s soccer uniform needs a more intense wash, but the tag says cold wash only.”

In this scenario, Alexa+ automatically analyzes the available washing cycles, finds the ideal setting for the fabric and starts the process, all without the user having to manipulate the device panel.

The enhanced functionality is powered by an artificial intelligence development kit created by Amazon. This tool aims to simplify integration between device manufacturers and the virtual assistant, enabling the inclusion of features that were previously not compatible.

Adoption of a new protocol expands the assistant’s integrations

To further expand the range of compatible services, Amazon is also implementing the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This is an open source standard that makes it easy to connect artificial intelligence models with external systems and tools.

With this initiative, companies such as Canva, Headspace, Priceline, Lyft, Cengage, Virgin Atlantic and Weekend are expected to integrate their services with Alexa+ by the end of this year.

Priceline, for example, will allow users to search for and book hotels using just voice commands. Other platforms, such as Atom Tickets, Cengage, Fandango and Taskrabbit, will now accept direct payments via Amazon Wallet through the assistant.

Currently, Alexa+ already has integrations with several well-known platforms, including Ticketmaster, OpenTable, Uber, Thumbtack, Expedia, Yelp, Square and Angi.

artificial intelligence – tadamichi/Shutterstock.com

Expansion of the new generation of Alexa+ to Brazil

The latest generation of Alexa+ was launched globally by Amazon in February and has been accessible in Brazil since June. The platform is capable of performing multifaceted requests and creating complete household routines via voice command. For example, a single request can adjust the lighting, turn on the air conditioning, close smart curtains and automatically start playing music.

The assistant also employs generative artificial intelligence to maintain more natural dialogues and understand the context between different questions. It also personalizes responses for each resident and can summarize documents and emails sent by the user.