[NFBF-L] FW: [Tech-chat] Alexa just got three new generative AI skills - here's how to try them

[Kaye Baker]

FYI


Alexa just got three new generative AI skills - here's how to try them If
you want to use artifical intelligence to make the most of Alexa, you're in
luck.
Jan. 10, 2024 at 1:02 a.m. PT
Alexa neon sign
Chesnot/Getty Images
With artifical intelligence (AI) a dominant theme at this year's CES, Amazon
has unveiled three new Alexa skills that all come with a hefty helping of
AI. Now accessible to all Echo and Alexa users, the three skills are freely
available through the Alexa app as well as through the Alexa Skills website.
Also: CES 2024: What's Next in Tech
First on the list is a skill called Character.AI. Designed by the developers
behind the Character.AI website, this skill lets you chat with a range of
different chatbots. You can talk to historical figures, such as Socrates or
Albert Einstein, and engage in conversations about philosophy or physics.
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You can also use Character.AI to chat with trip planners, dating coaches,
fitness coaches, and other helpers to get help and advice. And for
entertainment, you can explore AI-driven alternate timelines or help an AI
escape from a harrowing situation.
To use the skill, just say: "Alexa, open Character.AI." Alexa then asks
whether you'd like to speak with assistants, helpers, famous people, or have
fun and games. Make your choice, and Alexa lists some of the different
characters waiting to chat with you.
I opted to converse with Grace Hopper, the famous computer scientist and
mathematician. I naturally asked her if it was true that the term "bug" was
created after she discovered a moth in her log book. But she set me straight
by explaining that the story about the moth is a myth and the term bug was
actually devised long before she found a real one.
Also: The best CES 2024 gadgets you can buy right now Next on the list is a
skill called Splash, which uses AI to create a song based on your
description. With this one, you can tell Alexa to create any type of song or
specify the genre of music you want. After playing a short excerpt, Alexa
asks if you want to make any changes, such as adding lyrics. If you like the
tune, you can then tell Alexa to send it to your phone for playback.
To use the skill to generate any type of song, say: "Alexa, create a song
with Splash Music." To include a genre, say: "Alexa, open Splash Music," and
you'll be asked what style you prefer. For this one, I asked Splash to
compose a song in the style of jazz. The result certainly wouldn't win any
awards at the next Grammys, but it showed promise.
Finally, the third skill is named Volley Games, an AI-driven spin on the
usual 20 questions game. In this one, a friendly AI host challenges you to
guess an object by asking the right 'yes' or 'no' questions. After giving
you the category, you're prompted to ask each question until you hopefully
guess the mystery item. Along the way, you can ask for hints if you're
stumped.
Also: The best robots and AI innovations we've seen at CES 2024 so far To
try this one, say: "Alexa, open Volley Games." Your AI host reveals the
category and then asks for your first question. In my case, I was given a
category of household objects. After guessing that the object was something
in the kitchen, I was stumped for a while, until finally I figured out that
the answer was spatula.
The three new skills were all cooked up by developers using new tools
introduced by Amazon last September. The tools are designed to more easily
integrate generative AI into Alexa skills, allowing users to engage in
conversations and access real-time data. Other abilities tFYI
outed by Amazon at the time included booking reservations at a restaurant
and getting a summary of a trending news story.
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