Amazon has introduced a new feature called "Explore with Alexa," enabling children to engage in interactive conversations with an AI-driven Alexa. This feature, which enhances the Amazon Kids+ content subscription, allows kids to enjoy fun and educational talks with Alexa, utilizing generative AI while ensuring a safe environment tailored for younger users.
While various AI experiences, such as chatbots from Character.ai and Meta, cater to kids, Amazon is among the pioneers to leverage generative AI specifically for children under 13.
However, the use of generative AI comes with limitations; it's known to sometimes produce incorrect or misleading information, and children might pose inappropriate queries. To mitigate these concerns, Amazon has established robust guidelines around its AI use for kids.
The Alexa Kids science team designed this experience to include only safe and entertaining trivia and facts. Initially, the content will be provided by two partners: the World Wildlife Fund and A-Z Animals. The team aims to broaden the range of topics in the future, encompassing areas like space, music, video games, and sports.
Crucially, the generative AI content is not generated in real-time. "We want to proceed cautiously and thoughtfully with introducing new technology for kids, which is why we aren’t just connecting the experience to an LLM for live interactions," explains Arjun Venkataswamy, senior product manager for Alexa Kids. Instead, the LLM generates a wealth of content offline, which undergoes a thorough review process involving both humans and AI before being integrated into the experience.
This process ensures that kids are not interacting with live generative AI during their conversations with Alexa; instead, they receive pre-reviewed content sourced from a curated dataset of animal facts.
To activate the new feature, children can call upon AI-generated facts in two ways: by saying a specific phrase like “Alexa, let’s explore animals” or “Alexa, tell me an animal fact.” More organically, kids can ask questions such as, “What does a lion’s roar sound like?” or “How fast can a cheetah run?” This opens the door to a dynamic Q&A experience.
Additionally, in the coming months, Alexa will proactively invite kids to hear fascinating facts about animals.
Unlike traditional interactions where kids only ask Alexa questions, this new AI feature is more interactive. "One of the exciting aspects of this feature is that Alexa asks kids questions too," shares Venkataswamy. Alexa may pose trivia questions like “What’s the fastest animal on Earth?” Allowing children to think through their responses first enhances retention of the information.
Currently, the feature is focused on trivia questions, but Amazon aims to expand the interactivity and depth of conversations. They also envision a future where generative AI is seamlessly integrated into real-time interactions for both children and adults, albeit with additional safeguards in place for younger users.
"We plan to run an LLM in a more secure manner for kids than we would for adults… This gradual approach will help us refine our methods for delivering engaging and safe content for children," Venkataswamy says. Additionally, an AI-powered “Let’s Chat” experience for adults is set to launch later this year.
On the privacy front, Amazon assures that it does not leverage children’s responses to train its LLM. The "Explore with Alexa" experience will adhere to the established data handling standards of classic Alexa. Parents will have access to a log of questions asked by kids and the corresponding responses provided by Alexa, with options for manual or automatic data management.
Accompanying the launch of “Explore with Alexa,” the new Echo Pop Kids speakers are now available for purchase starting at $49.99 in the U.S. These speakers come in eye-catching designs of Marvel’s Avengers and Disney Princesses, featuring themed character interactions, along with six months of access to Amazon Kids+. This subscription encompasses a wide variety of child-friendly games, apps, videos, and more, enhancing the overall experience.
Importantly, "Explore with Alexa" can be accessed on any device set to kids mode or on family devices configured with kids’ voice ID, not just specialized "Kids" devices. Initially, this feature will only be available in English, although plans for international rollout are in progress.
While the timeline for integrating real-time AI features for children remains uncertain, Venkataswamy says, "We’re working closely with our Family Trust team at Amazon and various research institutions in the U.S. to ensure we're on the right path.”
Through careful planning and innovative implementation, Amazon aims to create a safe, engaging, and educational experience with AI for children.
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