Amazon has introduced a new feature called “Explore with Alexa” that allows children to have interactive conversations with the AI-powered virtual assistant. Designed for kids under the age of 13, this feature aims to offer a safe and protected conversational experience through the use of generative AI. While there are already AI chatbots available for younger users, Amazon is among the first to leverage generative AI to create a kid-friendly conversational experience.
Key Takeaway
Amazon has launched “Explore with Alexa,” a feature that allows kids to engage in interactive conversations with the virtual assistant. Using generative AI, this feature provides a safe and protected conversational experience focused on kid-friendly content. With strict safety measures in place, Amazon’s goal is to expand the AI experience to cover more topics of interest for children.
Keeping Safety in Mind
Amazon has implemented strict measures to ensure the safety and appropriateness of the content. The Alexa Kids science team has curated the experience to include only kid-friendly fun facts and trivia questions. Initially, the content will be sourced from trusted partners such as the World Wildlife Fund and A-Z animals, focusing on animal facts. The generative AI experience is not happening in real-time on the device to avoid potential risks associated with live interactions.
How It Works
To access the “Explore with Alexa” feature, children can either use specific phrases to trigger the AI-generated facts and trivia, such as saying “Alexa, let’s explore animals,” or engage in organic conversations with Alexa where the topic of animals may naturally arise. The AI experience is designed to be interactive, with Alexa asking kids questions as well.
Future Plans and Privacy
Amazon aims to expand the generative AI experience to include other areas of interest to kids, such as space, music, video games, and sports. Additionally, the company plans to integrate the generative AI experience at runtime for both kids and adults in a protected manner. Privacy-wise, Amazon ensures that the data handling policies for the “Explore with Alexa” experience align with those of the classic Alexa, and the Alexa app provides a list of questions asked by kids and the corresponding responses.
