Amazon is developing an updated version of its AI assistant, Alexa, known as Moonraker, aimed at improving its ability to manage multi-step tasks. Business Insider reports that internal documents indicate the project focuses on enhancing Alexa’s agentic capabilities, allowing simultaneous requests like booking a ride and texting a friend.
Amazon expects GPU costs for Moonraker to exceed $100 million by 2026, sparking concerns over potential overspending on AI models for the current version of Alexa, according to sources familiar with the matter. The planning documents noted that some senior Amazon employees are wary about the spending on existing AI capabilities.
A separate document from late 2025 stated plans to utilize “hundreds” of NVIDIA GPUs alongside an Anthropic Sonnet model for advanced reasoning and visual response abilities. Alexa+ was officially launched in the U.S. in early 2026, with a limited Early Access rollout in the U.K.
However, users have reported difficulties with Alexa+ performing basic tasks that previous versions executed more smoothly. Engadget’s Cherlynn Low observed in her review that while Alexa+ demonstrated improved conversational skills, it often struggled with memory recall in previous interactions, particularly with applications like Uber.
Despite these issues, Amazon is also committed to enhancing Alexa+’s features, having introduced three new personality styles for user customization in February. A later addition included a “sassy” personality, offering a more irreverent interaction style. Recently, Amazon integrated natural language processing for food delivery through platforms like GrubHub and Uber Eats into Alexa+.
The continued development of Moonraker indicates Amazon’s efforts to better compete with AI models from competitors such as Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI.
