Amazon is pushing Alexa+ beyond the smart speaker, bringing its upgraded AI assistant to the web, a redesigned mobile app, and new hardware initiatives. The moves, timed to CES, reflect the company’s effort to close the gap with consumer AI rivals such as ChatGPT and Gemini.

The launch is one part of Amazon's effort to bring its LLM-powered voice and digital assistant to every device — whether handheld or in the driver's seat — touched by consumers.

Anyone can now try Alexa+, Amazon’s generative AI assistant, through a free early access program at Alexa.com. The website frees the AI, which Amazon released via early access in February, from hardware and makes it as easily accessible as more established chatbots, like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.