Amazon Adds Conversational AI to Ring Doorbells With Alexa+ Greetings

Alexa can now have conversations at your front door.

Amazon this week announced Alexa+ Greetings, a new feature that brings conversational AI directly to compatible Ring video doorbells. The update enables Alexa to answer the door, speak naturally with visitors, and handle common situations, such as deliveries, sales pitches, and unexpected drop-ins.

According to Amazon, the goal is to turn the doorbell into more than a camera. It becomes an assistant that can understand what is happening at the door and respond on your behalf.

Alexa+ Greetings combines Ring AI video descriptions with Alexa’s conversational abilities. When someone presses the doorbell, the camera analyzes what the person is wearing, what they are holding, and what they are doing.

Amazon says this visual context helps Alexa figure out whether the visitor is a delivery driver, a salesperson, or a friend stopping by. Alexa then uses your pre-set instructions to decide how to respond and can carry on a short back-and-forth conversation if needed.

The tech giant noted that the system focuses on understanding the situation at the door rather than identifying the individual. The goal, according to the company, is to manage interactions without revealing whether anyone is home.

Customizing the front door experience

Users can customize how Alexa responds through the Ring app and Alexa-enabled devices.

Instructions can be simple and specific. For example, Amazon explains that you can tell Alexa, “If I get any deliveries during the weekend, tell them to leave it by the back door.” Alexa will remember and repeat that message when a delivery arrives.

Alexa can also politely decline door-to-door sales or ask friends and family if they would like to leave a message when you are busy or away. Even when Alexa handles the interaction, homeowners stay in the loop. If Alexa speaks to a visitor, the Ring app will show that interaction in the event history.

You can later review the video and conversation to see who stopped by, what they wanted, and whether any follow-up is needed. Amazon describes this as having a “trusted assistant at your front door 24/7.”

Availability and limits

This new front-door management is not available for every Ring user just yet. It requires specific hardware, specifically the Ring Wired Doorbell Pro (3rd Gen) or the Ring Wired Doorbell Plus (2nd Gen).

In addition to the hardware, users must be signed up for the Ring Home Premium Plan and have the Alexa+ Early Access feature enabled. Currently, this rollout is limited to English-speaking users in the US and Canada.

Read more: Amazon is reportedly in talks with OpenAI on a deal that could value the AI giant above $500 billion, signaling major shifts in the AI power landscape.
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