You can now make Alexa’s AI personality more friendly, blunt, or chilled out

Amazon is giving you more control over how Alexa behaves during conversations and responses. Three “personality style” presets are launching today for Alexa Plus users in the US that allow you to make the AI-powered voice assistant more concise, cheerful, or relaxed, depending on your personal preferences.

“Alexa’s personality is one of the things customers tell us they love most about Alexa,” Amazon said in its press release. “That familiar voice and personality have become a part of so many customers’ daily lives, but here’s what we’ve learned from customers since launching Alexa Plus: everyone has their own communication style and preferences, and a truly personal assistant should adapt to match it.”

The new style presets are Brief, Chill, and Sweet. Contrary to how much people supposedly “love” Alexa’s current base personality, Amazon said the Brief option is being introduced in response to “customer requests for shorter, more direct responses,” providing a blunt communication style that “cuts straight to the point with no-nonsense.” Chill is described as having a relaxed energy that feels like chatting with a laid-back friend, while Sweet is designed to be “your biggest cheerleader” by providing more enthusiasm and encouragement.

As someone who finds overtly bubbly and affable robots annoying, I certainly see the appeal of the Brief personality style. The Sweet option feels like something that would make me want to throw my Echo speakers into the nearest river. There’s clearly a market for people who want their AI assistants to behave like an affectionate companion, however, which has prompted wider concerns about people getting unhealthily attached to the bots.

The new Alexa Plus personalities are supported for eight Alexa voice options. You can change the personality styles by saying “Alexa, change your personality style,” or heading into the Alexa app and selecting your device > Device Settings > Alexa’s Personality Style.