Amazon has started rolling out an update for its Alexa+ service that lets you generate an entire podcast episode on any topic you want, complete with AI-generated host voices.
The way it works is quite simple: you tell Alexa what topic you are curious about, and it gets to work. Before it starts recording, the AI will draft a quick plan and show you what it intends to cover. You can make adjustments or corrections right there, changing the episode"s length or focus with conversational commands. Once you give it the go-ahead, the actual podcast generation begins.
Alexa Podcasts might remind you of the "Audio Overview" feature inside Google"s NotebookLM, where you provide source material, be it PDFs, Google Docs, website URLs, YouTube videos, audio files, or raw text, which the AI uses to create a podcast where AI hosts banter back and forth, joke, discuss, and summarize your materials.
Amazon is promising "accurate" and up-to-date information for Alexa Podcasts, thanks to a partnership with a huge network of publications. The system can pull information from Associated Press, Reuters, The Washington Post, Forbes, and Business Insider, among hundreds of other national and local news sources. The generative AI then transforms this content into a digestible audio lesson on your chosen topic.
When Alexa+ is done generating a podcast, you will get a notification on your Echo Show or in the Alexa app. You can play it right away or find it saved in the "Music and More" section of the app for later. Here"s what an episode sounds like:
Alexa+ is Amazon"s next-generation, generative AI assistant that finally launched in February of last year after a series of delays. Built on Amazon Bedrock, the service allows users to create complex routines with just their voice, control smart home devices more naturally, and remember personal details to provide better context for future requests. The service costs $19.99/month, a fee that is waived if you are a Prime member.