Amazon's Alexa May Soon Know How Irritated You Are

It can be incredibly frustrating when a virtual assistant repeatedly misunderstands what you're saying. Soon, though, some of them might at least be able to hear the irritation in your voice, and offer an apology. Amazon is working on significant updates to Alexa, the virtual helper that lives inside the company's voice-controlled home appliance, called Amazon Echo. These will include better language skills and perhaps the ability to recognize the emotional tenor of your voice. A source familiar with the Echo project says Amazon's researchers are looking at ways to stay ahead of the competition, primarily through a better understanding of a user's intent.