(Bloomberg) -- Amazon.com Inc. plans to charge Alexa users a monthly fee when it rolls out an AI-infused version of the voice assistant later this year, CNBC reported.

The Alexa subscription will help pay for the upgrade, the news site said, citing people familiar with the situation. The company hasn’t decided on a price, CNBC reported.

Amazon has previously announced plans to use generative artificial intelligence to make Alexa more conversational so it can compete better with chatbots from OpenAI and Google that can hold human-like conversations with users. 

Amazon’s voice software, released about a decade ago, has proved adept at summoning trivia or playing music. But those who try to use Alexa for more complicated tasks often come away frustrated. 

Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

 

--With assistance from Matt Day.

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