Amazon is reportedly developing an AI technology called “Burnham” to enhance the intelligence and conversational capabilities of its home-monitoring robot Astro. Business Insider reported that the technology will rely on generative AI and large language models, which are similar to the technology used by OpenAI’s popular chatbot, ChatGPT. The upgrade will allow Astro to react to situations based on what it has learned via observation.
Astro was first introduced by Amazon over a year and a half ago and has since received additional features, including the ability to detect pets and alert users about open doors or windows. The robot is currently available exclusively by invitation on Amazon’s website and can only be shipped to addresses in the 50 US states. It is part of Amazon’s Day 1 Editions program, which is designed to bring the company’s more innovative ideas to market faster.
Astro is available in three configurations, with a price tag of $1,599 for all options. The Alexa Together subscription helps users remotely care for aging loved ones by providing features such as shopping lists and activity alerts. With the Ring Protect Pro add-on, users can see the robot follow an unrecognized person and save footage to Ring’s cloud storage, among other things.
During Amazon’s recent earnings call, CEO Andy Jassy spoke about the potential of AI, including large language models and generative AI features, to transform customer experiences. He noted that Amazon has been investing in building its own large language models for several years and has a significant investment across the company in this area.
Overall, the Burnham AI technology being developed by Amazon has the potential to significantly enhance the “brain power” of the Astro robot, making it more useful and versatile for users.
