Amazon’s devices chief Panos Panay on tech giant’s AI gadget push

More than a decade ago, before we talked about “AI agents”, Amazon launched the digital voice assistant Alexa and the Echo branded smart speaker.

I remember using one and thinking that such devices definitely have a future. Fast forward to now, Alexa, which has made major breakthroughs in AI models, has received an upgrade, and Amazon is envisioning a world where its voice assistant can be with you everywhere.

Driving the current gadget and AI push is Amazon’s hardware and services chief Panos Panay, The Tech Download’s latest guest.

Panay revealed his vision for Alexa+, the latest augmented AI version of Alexa. The idea is that this assistant learns about your life along with context and performs tasks.

“It’s more contextual now. You just say what you’re thinking and your assistant is there to assist you throughout the day and help you do what you want to do,” Panay said. he said.

Amazon’s foray into devices has spread to speakers, doorbells and now wearables with its acquisition of Bee, a wristband device developer. Panay said Alexa is at the heart of bringing all of this together in a world where “we may be moving away from a world of apps and screens.”

The smartphone has long been at the center of our digital lives. What happens now, with more advanced AI, when there is no need for a screen and you can do more with voice instead? That’s what Amazon, along with other device companies, are considering. What the best devices of the future will look like is still up for debate. But Amazon is definitely cooking up a few things.

“I have a lab full of devices,” Panay said, adding that he has “a complete road map of devices in motion.”

My last big takeaway from the talk was about semiconductors. Those who know me know that chips are one of my favorite topics. Panay publicly discussed Amazon’s semiconductor work in consumer electronics for the first time.

“We are currently focusing on end-to-end silicon in some of the more critical devices,” Panay said.

This means Amazon designs the chips that go into its devices. right outside Apple playbook. By having more control over hardware and software integration, Amazon will be able to offer different experiences around Alexa.

There’s a lot more to reveal on the podcast. Take a listen and let me know what you think.

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