Amazon is developing a new AI-powered chatbot called Metis that will compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT, Business Insider reports.
The e-commerce giant has already launched AI products, including Amazon Q for Business last year and Rufus, an AI-powered shopping assistant, launched in February.
Amazon has developed an internal project for web browser access and Metis is based on the company's internal AI model called Olympus, an improved version of Titan.
Metis provides answers in the form of text and images in a conversational manner, shares source links, suggests follow-up questions, and generates images.
Metis RAG is used to improve the accuracy and reliability of generative AI models when they receive information from outside the training data, ensuring timely answers, such as current stock prices.
Metis aims to act as an AI agent that automates complex tasks like creating travel routes, turning on lights and booking flights, putting Amazon in competition with tech giants like Microsoft, Google and Anthropic.
Amazon is also developing a new version of Alexa called Remarkable Alexa that will share infrastructure with Metis. Some members of the Alexa AI team are now working on Metis.
Amazon is entering the AI assistant market alongside other tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Anthropic.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy is directly involved in the Metis project. Jassy presented a three-tiered AI strategy that aims to build new fundamental models of AI, leverage existing models, and build AI applications.
Jassy noted that almost all of Amazon's business units are working on AI projects and he expects AI initiatives to generate significant revenues.
Amazon is currently testing Metis internally with several members of the Alexa AI team. This project uses resources from Remarkable Alexa, an updated version of Alexa.
Metis is expected to launch in September, coinciding with Amazon's big Alexa event, although some team members are concerned about Amazon's lag in the AI chatbot market and question the value of investing in Metis.