Amazon is muting the celebrity voices for Alexa that have been used to report the weather, tell jokes and more.
The voices for actors Samuel L. Jackson and Melissa McCarthy, and NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal are being discontinued according to notes on the Amazon pages for each.
“Samuel L. Jackson celebrity personality for Alexa is no longer available for purchase,” reads the notice about the “Pulp Fiction” actor. “Customers who previously purchased the experience may continue to use the skill until April 30, 2023 by saying ‘Hey Samuel.’ Please reach out to customer service if you have any questions about this update.”
Jackson’s voice first launched in December 2019 at a limited-time introductory price of 99 cents. The price eventually jumped to $4.99.
Update, 12:05 p.m. PT: “After three years, we’re winding down celebrity voices,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement provided to GeekWire on Tuesday. “Customers will be able to continue using these voices for a limited time, and can contact our customer service team for a refund.”
Using Amazon’s Neural Text-to-Speech (TTS) technology, the Hollywood star was also available with an explicit version which added some F-bombs to jokes, movie trivia and more. The voices did not work with shopping lists, reminders or skills.
The Verge reported Tuesday that Jackson’s voice has already stopped working on some customers’ Alexa-enabled smart speakers. Amazon said it first began notifying customers about the change in December, and that Jackson voice will be available until June 7.
The McCarthy and O’Neal voices launched in 2021, and their pages say that those voices will work until Sept. 30.
Beyond celebrities, Amazon customers can still choose from a variety of voice options, including American, Australian, British, Canadian, and Indian voices. Change Alexa’s voice by saying, “Alexa, change your voice,” or in the Alexa app by going to device settings and selecting Alexa’s voice.
