With symbolic computation and Hirota method, analytic two-soliton solutions for the coupled nonlinear Schrödinger (CNLS) equations, which describe the propagation of spatial solitons in an AlGaAs slab waveguide, are derived. Two types of coefficient constraints of the CNLS equations to distinguish the elastic and inelastic interactions between spatial solitons are obtained for the first time in this paper. Asymptotic analysis is made to investigate the spatial soliton interactions. The inelastic interactions are studied under the obtained coefficient constraints of the CNLS equations. The influences of parameters for the obtained soliton solutions are discussed. All-optical switching and soliton amplification are studied based on the dynamic properties of inelastic interactions between spatial solitons. Numerical simulations are in good agreement with the analytic results. The presented results have applications in the design of birefringence-managed switching architecture.