The way humans interact with machines is at a turning point, and conversational artificial intelligence (AI) is at the center of the transformation. Learn how Amazon is using machine learning and cloud computing to fuel innovation in AI, making Amazon Alexa smarter every day. Alexa VP and Head Scientist Rohit Prasad presents the state of the union Alexa and Recent Advances in Conversational AIn for Alexa. He addresses Alexa's advances in spoken language understanding and machine learning, and shares Amazon's thoughts about building the next generation of user experiences.

1. © 2016, Amazon Web Services, Inc. or its Affiliates. All rights reserved.
Rohit Prasad, VP and Head Scientist, Alexa
Tony Donohoe, SVP and CTO, Expedia
Gregory Bryant, Corporate VP and GM, Intel
Brian Pearson, CTO, GE Appliances
November 30, 2016
nALX306
State of the Union: Amazon Alexa

3. © 2016, Amazon Web Services, Inc. or its Affiliates. All rights reserved.
Rohit Prasad, VP and Head Scientist, Alexa
Tony Donohoe, SVP and CTO, Expedia
Gregory Bryant, Corporate VP and GM, Intel
Brian Pearson, CTO GE Appliances
November 30, 2016
nALX306
State of the Union: Amazon Alexa

8. 100s of
words
1000s of
words
100s of thousands
words
Millions of
words
Tens of millions
of words

10. Signal
Processing
Wake Word
Detection
Beamformed
signal
ON-DEVICE PROCESSING
Automatic
Speech
Recognition
Audio Stream
to Cloud
CLOUD PROCESSING
Dialog
Management
Natural
Language
Understanding
Audio Stream
Text-to-Speech
Synthesis
Text:
Play Songs by Sting
Interpretation:
Intent: PlayMusic; Artist: Sting
Action:
Shuffle Songs
Audio:
Shuffling Songs by Sting

12. Pervasive Use of Data-Driven
Deep Learning
S3
EC2 Host
GPU
EC2 Host
GPU
EC2 Host
GPU
EC2 Host
GPU

14. ALEXA
VOICE
SERVICE
ALEXA
SKILLS
KIT
AMAZON SMART HOME
ALEXA
FUND

16. Nov 2014
13
Nov 2016
5000+
June 2015
29
Dec 2015
194
June 2016
3000+
Alexa Skills

18. L o n g F o r m
Au d i o
S k i l l
D i s c o ve r y
U K a n d D E
L a u n c h
D o m a i n
AP I s

19. Key Challenge in Skill Building
Many different ways to express the same concept
Phone number for
I want phone number
What is the number
for…..
Westlake Ace
Hardware
Ace Westlake
Westlake Hardware
Ace Westlake
Store…

20. Developer Preview for Built-in Library
Expressive Syntax
“SearchAction<object@LocalBusiness[telephone]>” makes your skill
understand a customer’s request for phone numbers for local businesses
Built-in intents and slots
minimize need for providing
sample utterances
From 10s of built-in intents
and slot types to 100+
intents and slot types
At launch we will enable built-ins for play
back of books, music and video, local
business search and movie showtimes
Several standalone slot types
will also be available backed
by curated catalogs
New

21. Skill Development Using Built-ins
“add all of Shakespeare’s works
to my summer reading list”
AMAZON.AddAction<object@Book,target
Collection@ReadingList>
“put don’t let me down on
my playlist ”
AMAZON.AddAction<object@MusicCreati
veWork,targetCollection@MusicPlaylist>
AMAZON.ChooseAction<object@MusicCrea
tiveWork,sourceCollection@MusicPlaylist>
“choose beethoven from my
classical music playlist”

22. Tony Donohoe, SVP and CTO, Expedia

23. At Expedia, our mission is to
revolutionize travel through the
power of technology.

24. https://www.tnooz.com/article/sabre-to-show-ancillary-services-from-60-airlines-
globally/

33. Gregory Bryant, Corporate VP and GM, Intel

34. ENRICHING DAILY LIFE
Making Smart Home Technologies
More Personable With Voice
EXTENDING NATURAL VOICE
INTERACTION EVERYWHERE

35. ENRICHING DAILY LIFE
Making Smart Home Technologies
More Personable With Voice
EXTENDING NATURAL VOICE
INTERACTION EVERYWHERE

36. Enabling Alexa Skills
+ Intel-based Smart Home Hub
Intel-based Smart Speaker
+ Amazon Alexa
Collaboration on AVS
Expansion in New Form
Factors
INTEL + AMAZON
*This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device
is not offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.

37. Enabling Alexa Skills
+ Intel-based Smart Home Hub
Intel-based Smart Speaker
+ Amazon Alexa
Collaboration on AVS
Expansion in New Form
Factors
INTEL + AMAZON
*This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device
is not offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.

41. Brian Pearson, CTO, GE Appliances

44. Product diagnostics and
predictive service
Whole-home integration
Voice controls
Product Features
Convenience
Remote access
*28% of new Geneva users are also first time connected appliance users
*GE Appliances internal data
Alexa, tell Geneva to make
hot water for coffee in 10 minutes

45. Full-suite support – over 70 models
One of the most robust Alexa skills
Billions of utterances

48. New

50. Thank you!
Developer.amazon.com/alexa/reinvent

51. Remember to complete
your evaluations!