Amazon Auto-Upgrades Prime Users to Alexa Plus

Amazon has automatically upgraded millions of Prime members to its enhanced AI-powered voice assistant, Alexa Plus, without requiring user consent, sparking widespread surprise and complaints among device owners in recent weeks.

The rollout, which began appearing on Echo speakers, Fire TV devices, Fire tablets, and other Alexa-enabled hardware linked to Prime accounts, replaces the original Alexa with a version powered by large language models. This upgrade enables more natural, conversational interactions, allowing the assistant to handle multistep prompts, maintain context across exchanges, and provide longer, personalized responses. Amazon positions the change as a free perk for Prime subscribers, who would otherwise pay a monthly fee for similar advanced features available to non-Prime users. The company introduced the generative AI capabilities last year to expand Alexa's functionality and compete with rivals like Google Gemini.

Users first noticed the shift through subtle changes in the assistant's behavior, voice tone, pacing, and personality during routine tasks such as setting alarms, checking weather, or controlling smart home devices. Many reported discovering the...