Amazon’s Alexa+ Now produces AI podcasts en masse.

Amazon’s Alexa+ virtual assistant has been conversationally answering user questions since 2014. Now, in a dramatic and consequential upgrade, Alexa+ has been upgraded to allow users to generate a conversational answer staged by AI-generated co-hosts. The whole thing is meant to simulate an instantly produced podcast based on the user’s initial prompt.

Alexa+ eases the user into this scheme providing a summary breakdown of the answer first, allowing listeners to adjust the eventual audio by choosing tone, and length. Then the faux-podcast streams directly through the Alexa speaker.

This feature is free to Alexa+ subscribers, or $19.99 per month for non-Prime users.

Amazon says that these Q/A episodes are sourced from 200 news publications and “a wide range of sources.” A lengthy descriptive pitch of this new arrangement, plus audio examples, is HERE.