It’s not entirely clear why Amazon decided to discontinue the feature.
According to a report by The Verge, Amazon has confirmed the discontinuation of Celebrity Voices features on Alexa. As a result, customers will no longer be able to purchase or access the voices of well-known actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Samuel L. Jackson, Melissa McCarthy and former American pro basketball player Shaquille O’Neal.
In a note on the product pages about the available celebrity voices, Amazon indicates that these are no longer available for purchase.
“After three years, we are turning off celebrity voices,” an Amazon spokesperson told The Verge. “Customers can continue to use these voices for a limited time and can contact our customer service team for a refund.”
Amitabh Bachchan’s page states, “This skill is no longer available for purchase.” “Customers who have already purchased this experience will have access to it for one year from the date of purchase.”
Those who have already purchased Ms McCarthy’s or Mr O’Neal’s votes can use them until September 30th. Mr. Jackson’s voice, meanwhile, will be available until June 7, 2023.
Launched in 2019, the feature allowed users to set their favorite celebrity’s voice as Alexa’s voice. It used Amazon’s neural text-to-speech model, which uses machine learning and is said to sound more lifelike. In 2020, the feature came to India and Mr Bachchan became the first celebrity voice for Alexa in the country.
“The baritone that has enchanted the Indian film industry for over five decades will soon bring a unique voice experience to the many Indian customers who use Alexa,” Amazon announced in 2020.
It’s not entirely clear why Amazon decided to discontinue the feature.
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