Amazon expands Alexa Plus to master complex smart home chores
Amazon is integrating its Alexa Plus assistant with a broad array of smart home manufacturers, moving the AI beyond simple commands toward intuitive, context-aware task management. By leveraging a new developer toolkit, the assistant can now autonomously navigate specific device settings based on user-provided constraints rather than rigid, pre-programmed instructions.
The update connects Alexa Plus to systems from Bosch, Delta, Ecovacs, iRobot, Yale Home, Whirlpool, Tapo, and Eufy. In a demonstration, the assistant successfully identified a specialized wash cycle for a soccer jersey simply by interpreting a user's description of the garment's care label. This capability marks a shift from basic smart home triggers to nuanced, multi-step execution performed directly within third-party hardware.
To accelerate this transition, Amazon is adopting the Model Context Protocol, an open-source standard designed to streamline how AI models interface with external software. This infrastructure shift is set to bring further integrations from brands including Canva, Headspace, Priceline, Lyft, and Virgin Atlantic later this year. While the assistant previously relied on a restricted set of service partners like Uber and OpenTable, the new protocol aims to lower the barrier for developers to grant Alexa Plus deep control over their specific platform features.
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