Amitabh Bachchan’s voice no longer available on Alexa as Amazon discontinues celebrity feature

Amitabh Bachchan's voice is no longer available for purchase on Alexa

Amazon has confirmed it will discontinue its celebrity voice feature for Alexa devices. Customers will no longer be able to purchase the voices of celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Samuel L Jackson, Shaquille O’Neal and Melisssa McCarthy, which Alexa-powered devices earlier supported.

Amazon had introduced the celebrity voice feature to make things more fun and interesting for Alexa users. Customers who purchased the feature could say, “Hey [celebrity name]” and command them to relate a story, answer a question, tell a joke and more.

The voice of Hindi film industry star Amitabh Bachchan was earlier available for purchase for Rs 299. However, a message on the listing now reads: “This skill is no longer available for purchase. Customers who previously purchased this experience will continue to have access for one year from the date of purchase.”

“After three years, we’re winding down celebrity voices,” Amazon spokesperson Eric Sveum says in a statement to The Verge. “Customers will be able to continue using these voices for a limited time, and can contact our customer service team for a refund.”

Those who had bought Samuel L Jackson’s voice can continue to use it on Alexa devices till June 7. the voices of Shaquille O’Neal and Melisssa McCarthy will be available till September 30.

Amazon has not revealed why it is discontinuing the celebrity voice feature, but one possible reason could be the increasing cost of licensing.

Meanwhile, a report in Insider indicates that Amazon is planning to overhaul Alexa amidst the rise of artificial intelligence. The company may use its own large language model (LLM) to make Alexa “more proactive and conversational.”