Amazon is set to release its long-awaited - and delayed - Alexa generative artificial intelligence voice service, said three people familiar with the matter, and has scheduled a press event for later this month to preview it.

If announced, this would mark Alexa's most significant evolution since its debut in 2014. Although Amazon has long been a leader in the AI assistant space, the landscape is rapidly shifting. Companies like OpenAI, Google and Anthropic are rolling out increasingly sophisticated AI assistants capable of multitasking and completing complex requests.

Amazon today sent out invites for an AI-focused event that will be held on February 26, and according to Reuters, the company plans to introduce