Why it matters: The company plans to debut a new, smarter version of Alexa, using generative AI to power customized responses to real-time user queries about the news.
State of play: The tech giant is eyeing preliminary tests with several publishers who it hopes can serve as launch partners for the revamped Alexa late next year, according to a person familiar with its plans.
Amazon also works with a handful of media companies to distribute news content through flash briefings -- short briefings anchored by news personalities -- on Alexa-powered devices.
The big picture: The AI era is proving lucrative for media publishers looking to offset a slowdown in ads and subscription fatigue.
What to watch: Looking ahead, Amazon wants to add more news partners as it scales the devices and platforms Alexa powers.