From Lost Keys To Emergencies: Amazon's Upgraded Astro Robot Could Soon Be Able To Handle It All

Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN is reportedly developing an upgraded version of its home robot “Astro” with ChatGPT-like features. 

What Happened: Amazon is developing a new secret AI robot project named “Burnham” that adds a layer of “intelligence and conversational spoken interface” to its smart home robot, Astro, reported Business Insider, citing internal documents. 

The upgraded Astro, powered by Burnham, could remember and understand what it sees and interacts with, using large language model-based technology such as OpenAI’s chatGPT. It can also engage in a Q&A dialogue to take appropriate actions. 

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According to the documents, the upgraded Astro robot has the potential to perform a variety of tasks around the house with ease. 

For instance, the robot could locate and alert owners about a stove left on or a running faucet, check on someone who has fallen and call 911 if necessary, help find misplaced items and monitor whether kids had friends over after school. 

The aforementioned tasks can be done with existing smart home tech and other gadgets, but with Astro, users will have a streamlined approach instead of requiring multiple devices and actions. 

Why It’s Important: Amazon’s Astro-home monitoring robot, which Alexa powers, has received substantial investment in the past. However, Astro hasn’t met Amazon’s expectations despite years of development and a large dedicated workforce. 

Additionally, the robot remains challenging to acquire due to its invite-only approach, which has been ongoing for 18 months, the report noted. 

Amazon’s move to incorporate generative AI and LLM technology into its products and services is also the latest example of the company keeping pace with competitors such as Microsoft Corporation MSFT and Google, who lead the way in the AI chatbot market.

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