Amazon has officially announced that it will no longer offer the celebrity voices feature on Alexa. This means that voices of famous personalities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Samuel L. Jackson, and Shaquille O’Neal will no longer be available for purchase.
The discontinuation of this feature will take place globally, and support for celebrity voices on Alexa-powered devices will also be discontinued in the near future.
For customers who have already purchased Amitabh Bachchan’s voice on Alexa, the page now states that the skill is no longer available for purchase. However, those who have already purchased it will still have access to it for one year from the date of purchase.
Similarly, for customers who have purchased Samuel L. Jackson’s voice on Alexa, the page explains that the personality voice is no longer available for purchase. However, those who have already purchased it can continue to use the skill until April 30, 2023, by saying “Hey Samuel”.
Samuel L. Jackson was the first celebrity voice introduced, offering users jokes, stories, and answers to questions.
The celebrity voices feature, which was introduced in 2019, utilizes Amazon’s neural text-to-speech model, employing machine learning to create more lifelike voices. Instead of using pre-recorded responses, the model generates voices with entertaining personalities.
In 2020, the feature was launched in India, with Amitabh Bachchan becoming the first celebrity voice for Alexa in the country.
