Amazon's AI-powered Alexa+ can now switch personalities, style: What's new

Alexa+ now lets users choose how it responds, with new personality styles including Brief, Chill and Sweet for a more personalised and flexible voice assistant experience

Amazon has introduced a new personality feature for Alexa+, allowing users to customise how the voice assistant responds to their questions and requests. Users can now choose from three conversation styles: Brief, Chill and Sweet, depending on the tone and interaction style they prefer. Instead of changing what Alexa can do, this update focuses on how it communicates. According to the company, the feature is designed to make Alexa+ feel more personalised, giving users control over whether they want short and direct answers or more expressive and conversational responses.

 

Alexa+ is the AI-powered version of Amazon’s digital assistant Alexa. According to the company, it is focused on answering complex questions, planning, summarising information, shopping, managing calendars, and coordinating across multiple users. Alexa+ is available on Echo devices, through the Alexa app, and on the web. It is currently available only in the US.

 

 

Three new personality styles

 

The update introduces three distinct styles:

• Brief is meant for users who prefer quick and direct answers. It avoids small talk and extra details, delivering information in a concise and efficient way.
• Chill offers a relaxed and easygoing tone. The company said that responses feel more conversational, similar to speaking with a laid-back friend, while still providing the needed information.
• Sweet adds warmth and enthusiasm to interactions. This style responds with encouragement and positivity, aiming to make everyday exchanges feel more uplifting.

All three styles provide the same functionality. The difference lies only in how Alexa communicates.

What makes these styles different

According to Amazon, creating these personality styles required adjusting multiple aspects of communication. Each style is built around five dimensions: expressiveness, emotional openness, formality, directness and humour.

 

For example, Brief responses are short, direct and minimal in tone. Sweet responses are more expressive, emotionally open and encouraging. Amazon noted that even a simple weather update can sound very different depending on the selected style.

 

How to change Alexa’s personality

 

Users can switch styles at any time. They can say, “Alexa, change your personality style” to their Echo device or adjust it through the Alexa app under device settings. Alexa+ also allows users to pair personality styles with different voice options. In the Alexa app, users can select from multiple voice choices under device settings. The personality styles are now available to Alexa+ customers in the US, with Amazon indicating that further updates may follow. 

 

Chatbot tone control

 

Many users prefer having control over how AI systems communicate, often using custom instructions to shape tone and personality. OpenAI already offers features that let users adjust ChatGPT’s base style, including its warmth, enthusiasm and emoji usage. It has an expanded list of ChatGPT personality presets. These allow users to tailor how ChatGPT sounds, ranging from professional to playful. There are eight styles available: Default, Friendly (formerly Listener), Efficient (formerly Robot), Professional, Candid, Quirky, Cynical (formerly Cynic), Nerdy (formerly Nerd).