Amazon officially signaled the end of the “smart speaker” era by launching Alexa.com, a dedicated web-based portal that brings its generative AI assistant, Alexa+, to the browser. This transition marks a fundamental pivot, moving Alexa from a voice-only household companion to a multi-platform agent designed to compete directly with ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.

Breaking the “Silo”

For years, Alexa was tethered to Echo hardware or mobile apps. By launching a browser-based interface, Amazon is solving what analysts call the “ubiquity gap.” The web version offers a chat-forward design, allowing users to interact via keyboard and mouse a major win for complex tasks like meal planning or vacation scheduling that are often cumbersome through voice alone.

Key Features of Alexa on the Web

The web app isn’t just a mirror of the mobile experience; it introduces high-utility features tailored for desktop workflows:

• Document Intelligence: Users can now upload PDFs, emails, and images. Alexa+ can extract school schedules, summarize long documents, or turn a messy recipe link into a formatted shopping list.
• Integrated Smart Home Control: A dedicated sidebar allows users to adjust thermostats, lock doors, or view Ring camera feeds directly from their browser window while they work.
• Agentic Continuity: Conversations are persistent across devices. You can start a research task on your laptop at the office and ask your Echo Show to summarize the findings when you get home.
• Life Admin Tools: New “Daily Insights” and “Templates” help format meeting summaries or track household behavioral patterns over time.

A New AI Business Model

While the web app is currently in Early Access, Amazon plans to integrate it into the Prime ecosystem, with a standalone subscription available for non-members. By leveraging its own custom Trainium chips to power these complex AI queries, Amazon aims to offer a more affordable and action-oriented alternative to general-purpose chatbots.

The shift to the web proves that for Amazon, the future of AI isn’t just about answering questions it’s about managing the logistics of daily life, wherever you happen to be sitting.