Amazon On Wednesday, nearly a year after launching an improved version of Alexa+, the company announced that it will make Alexa+ available to everyone in the United States digital assistant.

Alex+ It has been in “early access” preview since last March, meaning consumers must join a waitlist or buy a newer device to use the generation feature AI– Voice assistant.

Amazon pitches the service as an enhanced version of its 11-year-old Alexa that can handle multiple queries at once and act as an “agent” to take actions on your behalf, such as booking a mechanic or an Uber ride.

Starting Wednesday, Amazon will start charging users $19.99 per month to access Alexa+. The service remains free for Prime members, and anyone can try it for free through the Alexa+ website and app.

Amazon said access to the free Alexa+ experience will be “limited based on usage.”

Amazon is overhauling its Alexa service in response to the rise of artificial intelligence chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude.

Launched in 2014, the original Alexa wowed users by allowing them to chat with the digital assistant via voice and get immediate responses. Users mainly interact with Alexa through Amazon’s Echo smart speakers.

Amazon via Alexa+ Websites and Apps Front and center. Most users interact with chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini via text or voice on a web browser or smartphone app.