Right now the majority of gadgets and online services were created with adults in mind. However this doesn’t mean that kids shouldn’t be left out of the fun, but with issues like privacy coming to mind (Mattel had to cancel their kid-focused smart speakers), how will developers approach this?The good news for tech savvy parents looking to get their kids into technology is that Amazon is hoping to champion more kids-friendly services, and have since launched a Alexa Skills Challenge: Kids with Devpost that aims to reward developers with a prize pool of $250,000 to create Alexa skills that are aimed at kids.
According to Amazon, “The Alexa Skills Challenge invites developers to build an Alexa skill that educates, entertains, and engages kids under 13. We’re looking for skills that invite young listeners to explore new things, to be creative, ask questions, solve problems, and be proud of their accomplishments. A great educational skill should inspire learning. Maybe your skill will help kids set goals, or get into a routine, plan a project, or follow step-by-step instructions.”
The grand prize will see the winner take home $25,000 in cash, and a “cool trophy” to show off to their friends, family, and co-workers. There will also be a total of twenty finalists who will get $5,000 and have their skills promoted by Amazon, and even if you don’t win, eligible participants will also be given a limited-edition Echo Dot. It is clear that Amazon wants to try and create as many skills for Alexa as possible to help further its platform, in which they have recently announced that they will also be offering certain “premium” skills as a paid subscription.