Alexa, How Do You Work?

This lesson will offer a closer look at what goes on when we use Alexa.

The technology behind Alexa

The previous decade has seen remarkable progress in various technologies, including Cloud Technologies, Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Automated Speech Recognition (ASR). The convergence of these ground-breaking technologies has made something like Alexa possible. But how do they all work together within Alexa? Let’s take a closer look at the mechanics that are at play when a user asks Alexa for the latest news from “New York Times,” a custom Alexa Skill.

Understanding how Alexa Skills work

Peeking under the hood with an example
Peeking under the hood with an example

Let’s look at the various steps between us asking Alexa for something and Alexa giving a response. We can use the above diagram to get an overview view of the entire process.

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Wake word detection

To start interacting with Alexa, we need to call her by her name, “Alexa.” This name ...