As VP of Alexa, Daniel builds product for 600M Alexa devices. He had a great answer to my tough question: “Why has it taken so long to add AI to Alexa?” and then gave a live demo of what an AI-powered Alexa looks like. We also had a great chat about how to apply Amazon’s working backwards process to build useful AI products.

Daniel and I talked about:

(00:00) The real reason Amazon delayed adding AI to Alexa

(03:21) Live demo: Alexa uses AI to book Warriors tickets under $100

(09:21) Which AI model(s) power Alexa behind the scenes?

(11:50) How to build AI products using Amazon's PR/FAQ process

(18:30) Speed vs quality: When to ship fast vs when to wait

(23:00) Why Amazon pairs "invent" and "simplify" together

(26:00) The future of AI voice assistants beyond your home

Thanks to our sponsors:

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Linear: The best platform for AI agents https://linear.app/partners/behind-the-craft

Get the takeaways: https://creatoreconomy.so/p/an-inside-look-at-what-alexa-can-do-with-ai

Where to find Daniel:

X: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrausch/

Website: http://alexa.amazon.com/📌 Subscribe to this channel – more interviews coming soon!

An Inside Look at What Alexa Can Now Do with AI (December 2025) | Daniel Rausch

Behind the Craft

An Inside Look at What Alexa Can Now Do with AI (December 2025) | Daniel Rausch