Amazon's top consumer electronics executive has laid out an ambitious vision where artificial intelligence deeply integrates into domestic life, using cameras and sensors to proactively manage tasks from pet care to household chores.
The Personal Touch of AI
In an exclusive interview with The Independent on Tuesday 16 December 2025, Panos Panay, who leads Amazon's consumer electronics division, explained the philosophy behind a new suite of products. These include the Echo Studio speaker, Fire TVs with built-in smart assistants, and the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, a large-format colour e-reader that also functions as a writing tablet.
"One of the first things I ask my team is, did you buy the product that you built?" Panay stated. "You need to know who you're going to buy it for, not who you're going to sell it to. There's a big difference." This customer-centric approach is central to the development of Alexa Plus, an advanced AI-powered personal assistant showcased alongside the new hardware.
Proactive Home Management
Panay described scenarios where AI moves beyond simple commands to anticipatory management. A key example involves pet care. If a household has a Ring camera pointed at a dog's bowl, Alexa Plus can learn the pet's usual feeding schedule. If it then notices via another camera that a family member, say a son named Jonah, is present but the dog hasn't eaten, it can issue a personalised reminder: "Jonah, make sure you feed the dog today."
"Every one of those steps is useful," Panay emphasised. He also revealed other applications, such as a camera monitoring rubbish bins prompting reminders on collection day, or a smart doorbell detecting visitors wearing shoes and politely asking them to remove them if that is the household's preference.
"There are subtle things that are AI based, but also very personal, that are delightful," Panay explained, repeatedly stressing that such features operate strictly "within the guidelines of the permissions you give it." He addressed privacy concerns directly, assuring that Alexa only listens when activated and all data remains private.
Design with Intent
Beyond AI, Panay highlighted a significant step forward in product design, describing it as both an aesthetic and a customer-focused endeavour. He used the upcoming Kindle Scribe Colorsoft—set to launch in the UK in 2026—as an example. The team made it as thin as possible with perfect bezels, but Panay revealed he intentionally "added a little bit of imperfection" to the design.
"The first read is an emotional connection to the product. The second read is the useful piece of it," he said, suggesting the slight flaw guides the user's eye to engage more deeply. Similarly, the 3D knit fabric on the Echo Dot Max speaker is designed to be acoustically transparent and visually seamless, "like a beautiful bouquet of flowers" that blends into the home.
UK Launch on the Horizon
While Alexa Plus is already engaging users in the US with a surprising level of "natural conversation," British customers are still waiting. When asked about a UK release date, Panay was promising but non-specific: "It’s coming, I promise. We’ll be there soon enough."
The overarching message from Amazon's consumer boss is clear: the future of its smart home ecosystem lies in AI that observes, learns, and acts on behalf of users, transforming devices from tools into proactive household managers.
