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Amazon Alexa is a voice-controlled virtual assistant^[1] developed by Amazon. Conceived from the acquisition of Ivona in 2013, Alexa was officially introduced with the Amazon Echo in 2014. Alexa’s capabilities include setting timers, streaming music, and controlling various smart devices. It can also process voice commands to perform various tasks, such as ordering food or sending messages. Amazon has expanded Alexa’s reach, with Alexa now available in multiple languages and used in smart homes around the world. Despite its popularity, there have been concerns about privacy^[2] and security^[3], particularly in terms of voice recordings. Amazon has addressed these concerns, offering users control over their recordings and ensuring that devices only stream recordings upon activation. Developers can create skills for Alexa using the Alexa Skills Kit and integrate Alexa into their devices using Amazon Voice Service.

Terms definitions

1. ↑ virtual assistant.

1 A Virtual Assistant, often abbreviated as VA, is a digital tool that uses artificial intelligence to perform various tasks and services. These tasks include, but are not limited to, answering queries, controlling devices, managing schedules, and more. The functionality of a VA is achieved through different interaction methods such as voice commands, text-based communication, and image recognition. Over time, continuous advancements in AI and natural language processing have significantly improved VAs, making them more sophisticated and user-friendly. Furthermore, VAs have found applications in a multitude of industries, where they are used for information retrieval, entertainment, customer support, and conversational commerce, among other things. Notable examples of VAs include Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and Bixby. They are integrated into various devices and operating systems, demonstrating their broad utility and reach.

2 Virtual assistants are a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that perform tasks and services for an individual, often based on commands or questions. The evolution of this technology began in the 1900s with early voice-activated devices. The application and capabilities of virtual assistants have significantly grown, ranging from managing emails to controlling home appliances. Notable examples include Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and Bixby. Advancements in AI and language models have revolutionized their conversation abilities, making interactions with users more human-like. However, their widespread use has also raised privacy, security, and ethical concerns. Despite this, they have economic significance and are integrated into various industries, driven by the adoption of Internet of Things (IoT). The global market for this technology is expected to exceed US$7.5 billion by 2024.

2. ↑ privacy. Privacy is a fundamental concept that has evolved throughout history and continues to shape our societal discourse. Historically, it stemmed from philosophical debates, with figures like Aristotle and John Locke laying the groundwork. Privacy also entwines with legal and ethical issues, as seen in landmark Supreme Court cases and revelations like those from Edward Snowden. Technological advancements have both challenged and enhanced privacy, introducing new threats and protective measures. Globally, privacy standards vary, with different countries and international organizations setting their guidelines. In today's digital age, privacy faces new challenges and considerations, such as social media use, selfie culture, and location-based services. This concept encompasses an individual's right to keep their personal information secret and free from unsanctioned intrusion.

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Glossary

Amazon Alexa (Wikipedia)

Amazon Alexa or Alexa is a virtual assistant technology largely based on a Polish speech synthesizer named Ivona, bought by Amazon in 2013. It was first used in the Amazon Echo smart speaker and the Echo Dot, Echo Studio and Amazon Tap speakers developed by Amazon Lab126. It is capable of natural language processing (NLP) for tasks such as voice interaction, music playback, creating to-do lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, providing weather, traffic, sports, other real-time information and news. Alexa can also control several smart devices as a home automation system. Alexa capabilities may be extended by installing "skills" (additional functionality developed by third-party vendors, in other settings more commonly called apps) such as weather programs and audio features. It performs these tasks using automatic speech recognition, NLP, and other forms of weak AI.

Amazon Alexa

Developer(s)	Amazon
Initial release	November 6, 2014; 9 years ago (2014-11-06)
Operating system	Fire OS 5.0 or later, iOS 11.0 or later Android 4.4 or later
Platform	Fire OS, iOS, Android, Linux, Windows, Wear OS^{[citation needed]}
Available in	English, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic
Type	Intelligent personal assistant, cloud-based voice service
Website	developer.amazon.com/alexa

Most devices with Alexa allow users to activate the device using a wake-word (such as Alexa or Amazon); other devices (such as the Amazon mobile app on iOS or Android and Amazon Dash Wand) require the user to click a button to activate Alexa's listening mode, although, some phones also allow a user to say a command, such as "Alexa, or Alexa go to bed" or "Alexa wake".

As of November 2018^[update], more than 10,000 Amazon employees worked on Alexa and related products. In January 2019, Amazon's devices team announced that they had sold over 100 million Alexa-enabled devices.

In September 2019, Amazon launched many new devices achieving many records while competing with the world's smart home industry. The new Echo Studio became the first smart speaker with 360 sound and Dolby sound. Other new devices included an Echo dot with a clock behind the fabric, a new third-generation Amazon Echo, Echo Show 8, a plug-in Echo device, Echo Flex, Alexa built-in wireless earphones, Echo buds, Alexa built-in spectacles, Echo frames, an Alexa built-in Ring, and Echo Loop as well as the Echo Show generation.

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