Want smarter insights in your inbox? Sign up for our weekly newsletters to get only what matters to enterprise AI, data, and security leaders. Subscribe Now
Alexa is pretty smart, but no matter what the AI-powered assistant talks about, there’s no getting around its relatively flat and monotone voice.
That’s why today Amazon added Speechcons to the Alexa Skills Kit, a tool box for makers of Alexa skills. Speechcons are words or phrases written in Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML).
SSML Speechcons give Alexa the ability to say more than 100 words or phrases — like “Bada bing,” “Good grief,” or plain old “Boom” — to add more excitement and emotion to Alexa’s speech.
The addition was announced today in a blog post by chief Alexa evangelist David Isbitski.
AI Scaling Hits Its Limits
Power caps, rising token costs, and inference delays are reshaping enterprise AI. Join our exclusive salon to discover how top teams are:
- Turning energy into a strategic advantage
- Architecting efficient inference for real throughput gains
- Unlocking competitive ROI with sustainable AI systems
Secure your spot to stay ahead: https://bit.ly/4mwGngO
In recent months, Amazon has added other features to the Alexa Skills Kit to give developers more built-in tools. Last December, a library of hundreds of commands was added to the Alexa Skills Kit, making it easier for Alexa to talk about things like books, the weather, and local businesses.
Visit the Alexa Skills Kit website to see the complete list of Speechcons and hear what they sound like.
