Amazon spent $1.36 billion on Alexa in 2023 in spite of the voice assistant’s growing deficit

Amazon spent $1.36 billion on Alexa in 2023, in spite of the voice assistant's growing deficit. In the past eight years, the company has spent around $25 billion on the voice assistant. Despite this, it hasn't translated into success financially, and layoffs have only added to the issue.<br><br>**Key points:**<br><br>* Amazon spent $1.36 billion on Alexa in 2023<br>* The voice assistant service has not been profitable for the company, with a growing deficit<br>* The company has laid out a strategy to make Alexa profitable in the next five years<br>* Safety, utility, and entertainment are the three pillars for Alexa going forward<br>* The company is working to ensure safety by introducing auto no-spy mode, new emergency words, and a digital ID for Echo devices<br>* Alexa is improving utility by offering new information services like call waiting and call silence<br>* The company is expected to announce new features for Alexa at its hardware event in September.