Amazon wants consumers to answer tough questions for Alexa

If you are someone who owns an Alexa-powered device, it's almost certain that you've asked the smart assistant some arcane questions in an attempt to get a baffled response. Well, this usually ends up in confusing the AI, since Alexa doesn't have Google's deep Knowledge Graph.

So to take over this situation, Amazon has opened its gate for the users to help build a deeper base of knowledge for Alexa. The new initiative is an invite-only program that wants users to submit answers to questions that the smart assistant finds difficult to answer.

Amazon is already testing Alexa Answers internally and has managed to add more than 100,00 responses in one month alone. Now it will open the program for a wider set of people, through email invites.

Users who get the invites will be able to answer questions for Alexa through a website that has a wide range of different topics.

For instance, the company offered few suggestions like: "Where was Barbara Bush buried?" or "Who wrote the score for Lord of the Rings?" or "What's cork made out of?" or "Where do bats go in the winter?"

Once responses are added, Alexa will be able to use them in real time, noting that the answers are from "an Amazon customer." It will be interesting to see how the new move goes for the company. This could make the assistant even better and somewhat close to the Google Assistant who has well-backed deep learning tech.

Previously, Amazon also filed a patent for a new technology that would let Alexa analyze a user's voice to determine whether they are sick or depressed. The company will then sell products based on consumers' physical or emotional condition.

Amazon's patent also says the system would also consider the user's browsing history and purchases. Well, that's just a patent filing and there's no certainty that it will reach the final stage.