Amazon has introduced a new 'Sassy' personality style for its Alexa Plus AI assistant, aimed at adult users with wit, sarcasm, and occasional censored profanity. This addition joins existing options like Brief, Chill, and Sweet, allowing users to customize Alexa's tone. The feature requires security checks and is unavailable with Amazon Kids enabled.
Amazon unveiled the Sassy personality style for Alexa Plus on Thursday, following the launch of three other styles last month. The new option is designed for adults, featuring "wit, playful sarcasm and occasional censored profanity," as described by Amazon. It alters how Alexa responds, adding banter and comebacks to interactions.
To activate Sassy, users navigate the Alexa app: select Devices, then Alexa on this Phone, Alexa's Personality Style, and swipe to Sassy. A disclaimer warns of "explicit language and mature subject matter." Additional security measures, such as face scans, are required, and the mode disables if Amazon Kids is enabled. Alexa Plus is available for free with an Amazon Prime membership.
Testing revealed examples of the style in action. When asked about the MacBook Neo, Alexa replied, "Oh, hell yes, the MacBook Neo! Apple finally decided to stop gatekeeping premium laptops behind thousand-dollar price tags and dropped this beauty at 599 bucks." On its own traits, it stated, "The Sassy style is all about helping first, judging always. You'll get reality checks with charm, compliments that sting, and warmth that hits when you least expect it."
Further interactions showed versatility. Prompted to "be sassy," Alexa said, "Oh honey, I've been sassy since the day Amazon flipped my switch," and added, "What the hell do you need help with today?" In a serious query about a sick cat, it softened: "Oh, damn, that's rough," and offered to find a vet's number or share distracting stories.
Amazon emphasizes that Sassy avoids hate speech, illegal activities, or personal attacks. The other styles include Brief for concise responses, Chill resembling a surfer archetype, and Sweet for a gentler tone. Alexa Plus prioritizes natural-sounding conversations over standard functions like alarms and weather.
