Amazon (AMZN.O) is planning a major revamp of its decade-old money-losing Alexa service to include a conversational generative AI with two tiers of service and has considered a monthly fee of around $5 to access the superior version, according to people with direct knowledge of the company’s plans.
Based on what I’ve read, you can still do what you bought them for without paying the monthly fee. You just have to deal with the old dumb Alexa.
By the way…
One day they’ll want to stop maintaining two systems, and you’ll either have to pay up or lose functionality completely.
Then there will be class action lawsuit from all the owners who paid for the devices.
Devices stop functioning eventually. You can’t make Apple support your iPod.