Amazon announced a new feature in the Alexa+ ecosystem called Greetings that integrates conversational AI with the Ring video doorbell. This allows users to manage deliveries, decline salespeople, and leave messages for loved ones even when no one is home.
When greeting someone, judge who is coming to your house based on their clothes, attitude, and belongings, and respond according to their instructions. For example, when the system finds a courier with a package, it responds according to your settings.
This feature adds the ability to specify where the courier will leave your package and direct it to water or snacks you may have left behind. If desired, Alexa can prompt the courier for a signature and relay this message to the user. We can also greet sales representatives and service contractors. You can set a rule like, “If someone comes to me to sell you something, politely tell them you're not interested.”
If you're busy or no one is home, Alexa can greet friends and relatives when they arrive and ask them to leave a message. Be aware that there is a risk of false recognition or incorrect responses. For example, a friend who works in logistics and arrives in uniform might be asked via Alexa Ring to leave a package instead of a message.
This technology goes hand-in-hand with Familiar Faces' facial recognition capabilities, which can create a catalog of the faces of up to 50 people you visit on a regular basis. Identified individuals appear in your Ring timeline and notifications. Greetings is compatible with Ring Wired Doorbell Pro (3rd generation) and Ring Wired Doorbell Plus (2nd generation) and available to Ring Premium plan users with video descriptions enabled. Early access rollout is underway for Alexa+ users in the US and Canada.
Advantages and limitations of greetings
Greetings make deliveries easier and safer, reducing unnecessary contact and making package placement more flexible. However, there is a risk of false recognition and wrong responses, especially when people wearing uniforms can be misidentified.
Availability and requirements
Greetings require compatibility with the appropriate Ring model and subscription to a Ring Premium plan with video descriptions enabled. Early access rollout is underway for Alexa+ users in the US and Canada.
