When Amazon released Alexa in 2014, the company had big dreams for the technology. The voice assistant, the company suggested, could succeed smartphones as the next essential consumer interface.Alexa, which was embedded in Amazon’s voice-activated Echo smart speakers, soon became one of the most popular voice assistants, alongside Apple’s Siri and Google’s Assistant.But nearly a decade on, questions have arisen about the utility of voice assistants, including how often people use Alexa to shop for items or buy subscriptions. In November, Amazon began corporate layoffs, some of which targeted the division that makes Alexa and the Echo speakers.An Amazon representative referred to comments its executives have made that the company is not giving up on Alexa and that it will continue developing new features for it.We decided to ask readers how they use and interact with Alexa and how the technology fits into their lives. Nearly 200 people in the United States and Europe responded.Those who relied on the voice assistant said they used it …
