Alexa's newest feature lets the A.I. get back to you with an answer

In yet another evolutionary step in the artificial intelligence contest between Amazon and Google, Amazon confirmed this week that a new feature called "Answer Update" will enable Alexa to percolate on a question she doesn't know the answer to, and inform users once she's learned the answer. Factual questions only, please; we don't think it's healthy to ask a robot if it loves you and then stew on it for a while. We've seen that movie already. The feature, first spotted by Voicebot, was prompted after listening to a news item and asking follow-up questions. The intelligent assistant first asks if users want to enable "Answer Updates," a feature that users can also opt out of on command. Amazon says the new feature is a way to expand Alexa's "Knowledge Graph," an informational database containing general knowledge facts and figures that the smart assistant uses to answer everyday questions.