HUNDREDS of millions of Alexas have been sold worldwide and with Amazon creating technology ranging from Alexa ovens to doorbells, they are now specifically catering for a new demographic – children.
In what way?
Alexa toys are now afoot.
Such as?
Although it's already possible to get Alexa to tell jokes and play children's quizzes, the first physical Alexa toy is a £240 kitchen and mini-supermarket, where the voice assistant offers help with shopping, cooking advice and jokes.
Is it on sale?
Not yet. The deluxe wooden Alexa 2-in-1 Kitchen and Market, made by American toy producer KidKraft, made its debut at the New York Toy Fair. It is expected to go on sale in 2021.
What's it like?
When parents place an Alexa on to the kitchen and link it up with the relevant app, it enables the toy to prompt various reactions. For example, pretend food scanned in the play market is recognised via a sensor and Alexa then prompts the child with a recipe idea and suggestions to get other ingredients.
So there's no need to keep saying the "Alexa" command?
No, as the accessories that come with the toy, including a credit card, pans and toy food items, have sensors inside that relay information to the smart speaker via Bluetooth, allowing fluid play. KidKraft say the toy has more than 700 different voice commands.
What's the aim?
At a basic level, the product developers say it will help children learn about shopping and cooking meals.
At a deeper level?
Amazon has been exploring toy development long-term and with a general awareness that parents are limiting screen-time for children, the interactive toy market is seen as a way of changing this trend and offering a new way to play.
How many Alexas are in use now?
In 2019, four years after its release, Amazon said it had sold more than 100 million. But in January this year, it was announced that there are now "hundreds of millions of Alexa-enabled devices" in homes worldwide.
What about privacy?
Alexa and privacy concerns go hand-in-hand. The Alexa itself has been the target of two lawsuits in the US in relation to claims it illegally stored recordings of children on devices. Amazon says it has a, "longstanding commitment to preserving the trust of our customers" adding that it also has, "strict measures and protocols in place to protect their security and privacy".
However?
Research from Northeastern University in Boston last week found that smart speakers accidentally activate up to 19 times in one day, recording up to 43 seconds of audio on each occasion.
Amazon believe it's the future?
The e-commerce giant's director of Alexa gadgets, Kylie Laughlin, said: "We believe voice will be a big part of the future. Technology, in general, is not a replacement for parenting, but we think child-directed products and skills can provide a fun, interactive and educational experience."
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