I’ve had ST with Alexa integration and 30 Z-wave devices for a long time. Everything works great but I’m concerned that Amazon is looking to add AI to Alexa and charge a fee. I use Alexa for very simple voice commands (“turn on bedroom light”, “open bedroom shade”). Is there an alternative reliable voice device that integrates with ST? I’m concerned that once Amazon adds AI it will become unreliable or laggy and also don’t want an annual fee to turn lights on.
Alexa with AI Will be a separate subscription product: at least so far Amazon has said that they will continue the current version as a free tier. Doesn’t mean it’s forever, but I expect it will be for quite a while.
As far as other alternatives, Google Home and Bixby (Samsung‘s own voice assistant, which works on galaxy devices) integrate with SmartThings. Each has slightly different features.
There is also a method for integrating apple’s Siri with SmartThings, but it’s not official and does require some technical setup.
For now, though, personally, I just wouldn’t worry about it. Free Alexa May be replaced eventually, but I expect it’s a way off. 
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