Amazon Discontinues Celebrity Voices for Alexa: A Farewell to Star-Studded Assistance

In a surprising turn of events, Amazon has announced that it is discontinuing support for the celebrity voice features on its popular virtual assistant, Alexa. Fans of hearing Samuel L. Jackson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Melissa McCarthy through their Echo devices will be disappointed to learn that their favorite celebrities' voices will no longer be available for purchase or use in the near future.

Amazon introduced its celebrity personalities feature for Alexa back in 2019, starting with the iconic voice of Samuel L. Jackson. Priced at just $0.99, users could access the actor's voice by saying, "Hey, Samuel L. Jackson." Alexa's star-studded lineup expanded in 2021 with the addition of Shaquille O'Neal and Melissa McCarthy, though the price tag increased to $4.99 for each voice. Despite the excitement surrounding these celebrity voices, Amazon is now set to phase them out.

The end of celebrity voices support came to light when users noticed updates on the individual Celebrity Personalities for Alexa pages. Shaquille O'Neal's and Melissa McCarthy's voices will be available for users until September 30, 2023.

It remains unclear why Amazon has opted to discontinue these celebrity voices. However, the decision comes on the heels of reports that the company's Alexa division has been struggling to monetize the virtual assistant. In 2021, Amazon laid off 10,000 employees, with the Alexa voice assistant department hit hardest. According to Ars Technica, a former employee called Alexa "a colossal failure of imagination" and "a wasted opportunity."

In conclusion, as Amazon phases out the celebrity voices feature of Alexa, those who enjoyed their virtual assistant's star-studded assistance will have to say goodbye. Despite the company's decision to pull the plug on this unique skill, Amazon continues to develop and improve its Alexa offerings. Nonetheless, the discontinuation of celebrity voices for Alexa may be another sign of the company's struggle to monetize and fully capitalize on its virtual assistant's potential.