Amazon is working on a new AI chatbot named Metis, aiming to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, as reported by Business Insider. This follows Amazon’s previous AI releases: “Amazon Q” for enterprises last year and “Rufus,” an AI shopping assistant, in February.
Metis: Amazon’s New AI Chatbot
The internal project, code-named “Metis” after the Greek goddess of wisdom, is designed for web browser access. Metis is powered by Amazon’s internal AI model, Olympus, an enhanced version of the Titan model.
Metis provides text and image-based answers conversationally, shares source links, suggests follow-up questions, and generates images.
It uses retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to fetch information beyond its training data, ensuring up-to-date responses, like current stock prices.
Features and Capabilities
Metis aims to function as an AI agent, automating complex tasks such as creating travel itineraries, turning on lights, and booking flights. This puts Amazon in competition with tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon-backed Anthropic.
Amazon is also working on a new version of Alexa, called “Remarkable Alexa,” which shares infrastructure with Metis. Some employees from the Alexa AI team are now working on Metis.
Amazon’s AI Strategy
Amazon joins other tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Anthropic in the AI assistant market. The company also plans to launch a new version of its Alexa voice assistant, called “Remarkable Alexa,” which shares some infrastructure with Metis.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy is directly involved in the Metis project. Jassy has outlined a three-layered AI strategy: creating new AI foundation models, using existing ones, and building AI applications.
He has emphasized that almost every part of Amazon is working on AI projects, predicting that AI initiatives will generate significant revenue.
Metis Launch Timeline
Metis is currently being tested internally, with many team members coming from the Alexa AI team. The project uses resources from the upgraded version of Alexa, “Remarkable Alexa.”
Metis is expected to launch in September, aligning with Amazon’s big Alexa event. However, some team members worry Amazon may be late to the AI-chatbot market and question the investment in Metis.
One insider noted, “Technically it will work, but the question is if it’s already too late,” implying that Amazon might be “playing chase.”