May 22 (Reuters) - Amazon.com ( AMZN ) is planning an

artificial intelligence-driven overhaul of its Alexa voice

assistant and plans to charge a monthly subscription fee to

offset technology costs, CNBC reported on Wednesday.

The online retail giant will launch a more conversational

version of the voice assistant later this year, positioning it

to better compete with AI-powered chatbots from Microsoft ( MSFT )

and Alphabet's Google, the report said,

citing two people familiar with the matter.

Amazon ( AMZN ) introduced Alexa in 2014 but has not found a

consistent means to make it profitable, instead driving shoppers

to the company's website for more purchases.

Amazon ( AMZN ) did not immediately respond to a Reuters request

for comment.