Yesterday, Reuters ran a story with the headline “Weeks after Amazon’s Alexa+ AI launch, a mystery: where are the users?,” in which it detailed its difficulty locating first-hand accounts of the AI-upgraded assistants’ use online. The Verge asked Amazon about the story, and the company has responded to say that the idea that Alexa Plus isn’t available is “simply wrong.”

Here’s the company’s full — and rather strongly-worded! — statement on the matter, provided by Amazon spokesperson Eric Sveum via email to The Verge:

It’s simply wrong to say that Alexa+ isn’t available to customers—that assertion is false. Hundreds of thousands of customers have access to Alexa+ and we’re constantly inviting more customers that have requested Early Access.

Sveum also shared the below screenshot of what the email invite should look like.

Alexa Plus is Amazon’s generative AI-updated version of Alexa, which it announced in February is free to Amazon Prime subscribers or $19.99 a month otherwise.

While Reuters doesn’t say Alexa Plus isn’t available to customers yet, it does quote an analyst who said, “There seems to be no one who actually has it.”

The outlet also reported that its efforts to find any real-world Alexa Plus users came up empty, writing that it had “searched dozens of news sites, YouTube, TikTok, X, BlueSky and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, as well as Amazon’s Twitch and reviews of Echo voice-assistant devices on Amazon.com.” It added that it spoke with two people who’d posted on Reddit claiming to have used Alexa Plus, but that they “did not provide Reuters with hard evidence and their identities could not be corroborated.”

Still, Engadget reported today that a wave of emails had gone out on Friday, inviting Amazon Alexa users to try out Alexa Plus. The outlet also reported that an Amazon spokesperson had told it “hundreds of thousands” of customers have tried the assistant.

Amazon started rolling out its early access program to a few customers at the end of March. At the time, it was missing features like the ability to order takeout from Grubhub using conversational context, or identify family members and remind them about chores. A page on Amazon’s website notes that some features are still “coming soon,” like being able to access Alexa Plus in a web browser or on a Fire TV or Amazon tablet. The company has said it’s prioritizing those who own certain Echo Show devices above others.

Epic Games released an AI-powered Darth Vader character that players can speak to via microphone.

Fortnite and Disney teamed up to unveil an AI character that responds to a player’s voice in real time. According to Fortnite, AI Vader can react to players by answering questions and providing strategies.

The tech uses Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash model to generate Vader’s responses, according to Epic Games.

The voice of James Earl Jones, the late actor who voiced Vader, was generated using ElevenLabs’ Flash v2.5 model.

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The family of Jones said in a statement to Epic, “James Earl felt that the voice of Darth Vader was inseparable from the story of Star Wars, and he always wanted fans of all ages to continue to experience it. We hope that this collaboration with Fortnite will allow both longtime fans of Darth Vader and newer generations to share in the enjoyment of this iconic character.”

The game’s site states that audio and transcriptions from players are not stored and are solely used to prompt Darth Vader’s responses. Epic also says it does not use the players’ interactions to train AI models.

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Fortnite players are finding ways to trick the new AI character into cussing. (Photo Illustration by Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Players quickly found ways to get Vader to respond with profanity by having him repeat offensive language used by them.

Australian streamer and gamer Kathleen Belsten, who goes by the handle “Loserfruit,” shared a video online of her managing to prompt the AI Darth Vader to say “f—” during in-game dialogue.

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Epic Games uses Gemini and ElevenLabs tech to introduce an AI-powered Darth Vader. (Photo illustration by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Another X user with the handle @GasSpares was able to get the AI character to repeat a slur.

Fortnite offers a feature that allows players to report such events, according to the site’s FAQ. The company said it immediately issued a “hot fix” that will prevent players from making the character use profanity or slurs.

The site also states that “Players under 13 or their country’s age of digital consent, whichever is higher, will need permission to talk with Darth Vader. These players will see an in-game prompt to get parental permission.”

Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best deals to help you gear up for your summer adventures. In some instances, other retailers like Amazon are matching REI’s pricing, giving you additional ways to save. Also, keep in mind that REI members can save an additional 20 percent on one REI Outlet item or get 20 percent off on one qualifying full-price item when they use coupon code ANNIV2025 at checkout.

Update, May 17th: Updated pricing / availability and added several new deals, including those for Mpowerd’s 18-foot solar lights and the Garmin InReach Messenger Plus.