Amazon is enhancing its smart home ecosystem with a new Alexa+ feature called "Greetings," which integrates advanced conversational AI directly into Ring video doorbells. This innovative update empowers Ring devices to intelligently interact with visitors, streamlining tasks such as managing package deliveries, politely screening sales representatives, and allowing friends or family to leave messages when homeowners are unavailable.
The "Greetings" feature leverages Ring doorbell's video descriptions to determine the *type* of visitor at your door based on their apparel, actions, and what they are holding. This allows the AI to respond appropriately without identifying the individual. For instance, if the system detects a person in a delivery uniform dropping off a package, it will engage based on predefined user instructions.
Homeowners can customize settings to specify where delivery personnel should leave packages, or even direct them to amenities like water or snacks left outside. For deliveries requiring a signature, Alexa can inquire about the best return time and relay that information directly to the user, ensuring no important details are missed.
Beyond deliveries, "Greetings" can also manage unsolicited visits from sales representatives or service vendors. Users can set instructions such as, "If someone comes to the door trying to sell something, politely let them know we’re not interested," allowing the AI to handle these interactions discreetly.
For personal visits, if you're busy or away from home, Alexa can greet friends or family members and prompt them to leave a message, ensuring you stay connected even when you can't answer the door personally.
While highly convenient, this technology does present a risk of misidentification and inappropriate responses. For example, a friend visiting after work in a delivery uniform might be mistaken for a delivery driver, leading Alexa to ask them to leave a package rather than a personal message.
This new feature follows Amazon's earlier, more controversial AI-powered facial recognition system for Ring, known as "Familiar Faces." That feature allows users to create a catalog of up to 50 regular visitors, identifying them by name in the Ring app's timeline and notifications.
It's important to note that Amazon emphasizes "Greetings" uses Ring's video descriptions to determine the *type* of person at the door for generating responses, rather than identifying the specific individual, distinguishing it from facial recognition technologies.
The "Greetings" feature is compatible with the Ring Wired Doorbell Pro (3rd Gen) and Ring Wired Doorbell Plus (2nd Gen). It is currently rolling out to Alexa+ Early Access customers in the U.S. and Canada who subscribe to the Ring Premium Plan and have video descriptions enabled.
