Amazon is working on a new update for its virtual assistant Alexa, focused on incorporating agentic artificial intelligence (AI) features. This feature will allow the assistant to execute multiple tasks from a single user request.
Project Moonraker and its costs
Internal documents obtained by Business Insider detail this project, codenamed Moonraker. It represents one of the most expensive initiatives in the overhaul of Alexa+, with estimated costs exceeding US$100 million (equivalent to R$516.1 million) just for GPUs throughout 2026.
The central proposal of Moonraker is to elevate Alexa+'s functionalities, enabling it to manage more sophisticated interactions and handle multiple commands simultaneously. For example, the system will be capable of processing a request to book a ride and, at the same time, send a message to a friend, executing several related actions in a single interaction.
Competition in the AI market
The development of Moonraker places Amazon directly in the race for the agentic AI assistant market. In this sector, competitors such as OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic already offer models that can browse the internet and complete complex workflows.
Although Alexa+ already allows users to book rides or buy tickets through partners like Uber and Ticketmaster, Moonraker aims to drastically expand these capabilities so that multiple procedures can be finalized with just one command.
Financial and technological concerns
The internal documents point to the high cost of the initiative. Furthermore, a source close to the matter informed the publication that some Amazon executives believe the company has overinvested in the AI models supporting the current version of Alexa, making operational cost a growing internal issue.
This financial pressure mirrors a broader trend observed in Silicon Valley, where companies face increasing expenses required to develop and maintain advanced AI systems. Other records, dated late 2025, show that Amazon intended to use hundreds of Nvidia GPUs to support Moonraker, and utilized Anthropic's Sonnet model to test advanced reasoning and visual responses.
Initial challenges of Alexa+
The official launch of Alexa+ only occurred in early 2026 across the United States. In regions such as the UK and Brazil, the assistant remains available in a pre-launch phase. However, the implementation was not without problems.
Business Insider reported that Amazon postponed the launch of Alexa+ several times before expanding its availability in the US. Internal tests identified flaws, such as occurrences of hallucinations and incoherent responses. One specific account mentioned an employee who observed Alexa accidentally turn off an aquarium filter, resulting in the death of the fish. Users also reported that the assistant had difficulty fulfilling simple requests that were handled in previous versions.
Continuous evolution of Alexa+
Despite the obstacles and high investments, Amazon continues to improve Alexa+'s features. In February, the company introduced three new personality profiles to allow for personalization of user interaction, and later added an option that gives Alexa a more irreverent and aggressive tone.
Recently, the company integrated natural language food delivery orders through apps like GrubHub and Uber Eats. Andy Jassy, Amazon's CEO, stated in his annual letter to shareholders that customers are interacting with Alexa+ twice as often and making three times more online purchases. He emphasized that Alexa is still at the beginning of its journey to become the world's best personal assistant. Amazon declined to comment on Project Moonraker when contacted by Business Insider.
