Amazon has announced a significant update to its Echo devices, discontinuing the option for users to process Alexa requests locally. As of March 28, 2025, all voice recordings will be sent to Amazon's cloud for processing, marking a shift away from local handling on select devices. This change affects the Echo Dot (4th Gen), Echo Show 10, and Echo Show 15, which previously allowed users to opt out of sending voice recordings to the cloud using the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" feature.
The decision to eliminate local processing is tied to Amazon's efforts to enhance Alexa's capabilities with generative AI features, which require the computational power of the cloud. This move coincides with the introduction of Alexa+, a new iteration of the voice assistant that leverages cloud-based AI to improve user experience. Despite privacy concerns, Amazon emphasises that user data remains secure and encrypted during transmission to the cloud.
Users who had enabled the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" feature will see their settings automatically change to "Don't save recordings" on March 28. This means that voice recordings will be sent to the cloud, processed, and then deleted. However, users can still request that Amazon remove their voice recordings after they have been transmitted to the cloud. The shift to cloud processing may raise privacy concerns, as all voice interactions will now be transmitted to Amazon's servers.