Amazon has announced that it will no longer offer celebrity “personalities” for its virtual assistant, Alexa. The e-commerce giant has stopped sales of voices featuring stars like Samuel L. Jackson and Melissa McCarthy. On the product pages for these celebrity voices, Amazon has posted a note stating that they are no longer available for purchase.
The note states that customers who had previously purchased the experience can continue using it until September 30, 2023, by saying “Hey Melissa” or “Hey Samuel.” Amazon did not provide a reason for discontinuing the service. In a statement to CNET, the company mentioned that they are winding down celebrity voices after three years. Customers will still have a limited time to use these voices and can contact Amazon’s customer service team for a refund.
The celebrity voices were compatible with most voice-activated Echo devices, with the exception of the first-generation Echo and Echo Dot. Other products, such as wearables, Fire TVs, and Fire Tablets, did not support these voice-overs.
When users acquired the skill, the celebrity personality would take over Alexa’s voice. For instance, if users purchased Melissa McCarthy’s voice, they could activate the device by saying “Hey Melissa,” while Samuel L. Jackson’s voice required users to say “Hey Samuel” to wake up the device.
In the past, Amazon had released commercials featuring Samuel L. Jackson in the recording studio, showcasing his interactions with the virtual assistant. However, the company has now decided to discontinue these celebrity voices, without providing specific details about the rationale behind this decision.
While the celebrity voices added a unique touch to Alexa’s functionality, Amazon’s move to discontinue them may be due to a variety of factors. It is possible that the demand for these voices did not meet expectations, or Amazon may be shifting its focus to other features and enhancements for Alexa. Regardless of the reasons, users will no longer have the option to enjoy the voices of Samuel L. Jackson, Melissa McCarthy, and other celebrities when interacting with their Alexa-enabled devices.
As Amazon continues to refine and improve its virtual assistant, users can expect new updates and features to enhance their Alexa experience. While celebrity voices may no longer be available, Alexa remains a powerful and versatile tool for smart home automation, information retrieval, and much more. daily chores much simpler! Amazon is continually expanding Alexa’s capabilities to include more features and services. This includes the ability for users to control their smart home devices, integrate with third-party apps, make purchases with voice commands, and even access on-demand music streaming services.