News
Good ideas wanted for Alexa skills
Posted on 2nd August 2018
Developers are being urged to create an Alexa skill that has a positive impact on the environment, local community and wider world, in a new challenge set by work platform Devpost and Alexa creator Amazon.
The Alexa skills challenge: tech for good offers developers a chance to create an Alexa skill that has a positive impact on the society.
Participants in the challenge – who can come from anywhere jn the world – will compete for $122,000 in prizes, and the chance to direct a donation of $20,000 from Amazon to one of 11 non-profit organisations.
Open-sourced Alexa skills can simplify almost any imaginable task through voice commands. The tech-for-good challenge asks developers to build skills that have a positive effect on the world – whether it be helping to save energy or helping people in need after a natural disaster strikes.
Earlier year Amazon launched its Alexa donations with Amazon Pay, which enables customers to donate directly to charities through an Alexa skill.
Submissions for the challenge should have the following in common:
- they solve a customer problem
- they inspire customers to learn and take action
- they deliver a seamless user experience via voice.
All eligible participants will take home an Amazon Echo Dot. In October, after the submission period ends, 10 finalists will be selected to participate in the second round and take home $5,000. During the final round, finalist skills will be promoted to Alexa customers across multiple channels to face off for the grand prize.
The best skill from the finalist pool will take home the grand prize of $10,000 on top of their finalist prize and the ability the direct a $20,000 donation from Amazon to one of 11 nonprofits.
Judging criteria are set out on on the challenge page.
There are 11 additional bonus prizes across two categories – content ($5000) and technical ($2000). Winners need not be a finalist. Publish your skill and submit your challenge entry to Devpost by September 17. Winners will be announced in November.
