Amazon’s (AMZN) Alexa may be getting a lot more intelligent in the future.
The MIT Technology Review reported that the virtual assistant could one day recognize how a user feels based on the tone of the person’s voice. For instance, if the user needs to repeat a request, the product may be able to detect irritation and apologize.
Alexa, which is available via Amazon Echo, will reportedly get updated in order to stay ahead of its competition in the space (such as Apple’s Siri and Google’s recently unveiled Home), according to the report, which cites an unnamed source.
“How human affect is recognized and then reflected by [Alexa’s] voice will be a key area of [Amazon’s] R&D,” according to the source.
The publication also reported that there will be upcoming improvements to Alexa’s ability to hold a conversation and remember what a user has told it previously. This will then color conversations and interactions going forward.
“That’s one of the active areas,” the source told MIT. “It is super-vital for the conversation to be magical.”
Coins2Daydiscussed Alexa’s recent updates, including that it now has over 1,000 skills. Earlier this year, Amazon said Alexa had about 100 skills.
Coins2Day has reached out to Amazon for comment and we will update this story if we hear back.