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Amazon to Remove Celebrity Voices from Alexa
Amazon will no longer offer celebrity voice options on its popular Alexa device. This includes the widely popular voices of Shaquille O’Neal, Melissa McCarthy, and Samuel L. Jackson. Amazon began offering the feature with Jackson in 2019, allowing customers to download the actor’s voice for 99 cents. However, the cost was recently increased to $4.99.
End of an Era for Alexa’s Celebrity Voices
Amazon first announced to customers in December that it would discontinue the voice options of the celebrities, allowing access until June 7, 2023. Users who purchased Jackson’s voice can continue to use it until April 2023. Meanwhile, those who purchased McCarthy and O’Neal’s voices will receive notifications that the voices will only be available until September 30, 2023.
No Refunds for Alexa Celebrity Voice Purchases
The company’s spokesperson told Gizmodo that customers who previously bought the voice option will not automatically receive a refund. However, they can contact Amazon’s customer service for a refund. After three years, Amazon is winding down celebrity voices.
Alexa to Offer Variety of Voice Options
While celebrity voices are disappearing from Alexa, there will still be multiple voice options available, which include American, Australian, British, Canadian, and Indian voices. Amazon has not offered additional information as to why the celebrity voice options have been removed.
Amazon Makes Cuts to Spending in Recent Months
Since Andy Jassy took over as CEO in July 2021, Amazon has made spending cuts. Jassy first criticized the company’s investments, including Alexa, saying it resulted in an operating loss of $5 million. Amazon also laid off 18,000 employees, including nearly 2,000 from the Alexa and Echo product division.
Selling Products at Break-Even
Amazon’s Hardware Chief, Dave Limp, said that the company tries to sell its products at break-even costs, sometimes making a little bit more. When customers use Alexa for shopping, it benefits Amazon and gives consumers a great shopping experience, which is how Amazon aims to monetize these products moving forward.
Amazon Moving Towards AI with Alexa
Leaked documents indicate that Amazon is looking into artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its voice feature, according to Business Insider. Using AI chatbots could expand Alexa’s results across videos and audio, according to the documents.
Building a Larger and More Capable LLM
During an earnings call, Jassy discussed building a much larger and much more generalized and capable” large language model (LLM) underneath Alexa. Although it is not yet clear whether AI will be incorporated into Alexa, Jassy said he believes there is a significant business model underneath it that will help Amazon achieve its goal of becoming the world’s best personal assistant.
Conclusion
Although Amazon will no longer offer celebrity voice options on its Alexa device, customers will still have access to a variety of voice options. Amazon has faced spending cuts recently, making changes to save money. The introduction of AI chatbots may be Amazon’s effort to enhance Alexa’s capabilities. Building a more generalized and capable LLM will help Alexa become the world’s best personal assistant according to Jassy.
FAQs
What is happening to the celebrity voices on Alexa?
Amazon is discontinuing celebrity voice options on its Alexa device, including the voices of Shaquille O’Neal, Melissa McCarthy, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Can users still access celebrity voices on Alexa?
Customers who purchased Jackson’s voice can still use it until April 2023, while those who purchased McCarthy and O’Neal’s voices will receive notifications that the voices will only be available until September 30, 2023.
Will Amazon refund users who purchased the celebrity voice options?
Amazon will not automatically issue refunds to customers who purchased the voice options. However, they can contact Amazon’s customer service for a refund.
What voice options will be available on Alexa?
Alexa will continue to offer a variety of voice options, which include American, Australian, British, Canadian, and Indian voices.
Why is Amazon removing the celebrity voice feature on Alexa?
Amazon did not provide additional information as to why the celebrity voice feature has been removed.
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