Amazon’s Development of AI Chatbot “Metis” with Unique Capabilities
According to recent reports, Amazon is working on developing its own AI chatbot called “Metis.” This chatbot, codenamed Metis, aims to operate similarly to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Business Insider revealed that Metis will be accessible through a web browser and is said to have the potential to provide text answers to inquiries in a conversational manner. Moreover, Metis will also have the ability to generate images, suggest follow-up questions, and provide links to sources.
What sets Metis apart from other chatbots is its utilization of a technique called retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). This technique allows Metis to gather information beyond its original training data, giving it a significant advantage over its competitors. In contrast, ChatGPT’s data reservoir has a cutoff date, meaning it cannot access information beyond that date. For example, GPT-4 Turbo’s cutoff date is December 2023, rendering it unaware of any events occurring in 2024.
It remains unclear if Amazon has integrated RAG into Metis as of the Business Insider report. Additionally, Metis will also function as an “AI agent,” serving as a smart home assistant capable of automating complex tasks such as controlling lights, creating itineraries, and booking flights.
Metis is powered by a new internal AI model developed by Amazon called Olympus. Olympus is touted as an improved version of Amazon’s publicly available AI model, Titan. To ensure a successful development process, the team behind Metis includes individuals who previously worked on Amazon’s Alexa. In fact, Metis shares some resources with the long-rumored Alexa upgrade.
Internally, attitudes towards Metis seem to differ among Amazon employees. While CEO Andy Jassy shows great interest in the project and actively reviews progress, others within the company are less enthusiastic. Some sources express concern that Amazon may be late to enter the AI chatbot market, with rival companies already having a significant head start. The question remains whether Amazon’s efforts to catch up will be worth it.
Amazon’s ventures into AI have yielded mixed results thus far. The Titan model is considered weaker compared to its rivals, and the company’s corporate chatbot, Amazon Q, has received mixed reviews. Furthermore, their Trainnium and Inferentia AI chips have low demand. Given these setbacks, Amazon needs a significant breakthrough in the AI space to maintain its position and relevance.
Reportedly, Metis is scheduled for launch in September, coinciding with Amazon’s next major event. However, these plans are subject to change, and nothing is set in stone at the moment. In the rapidly evolving tech industry, flexibility and adaptability are crucial.
As we eagerly await the release of Metis, it’s worth exploring the current landscape of AI chatbots in 2024. TechRadar has compiled a list of the best AI chatbots, providing an overview of the top-performing options available now and potentially in the future. It is an exciting time to witness the advancements in AI technology and how it enhances our daily lives.
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