In 2019, Amazon offered the ability to change Alexa’s voice to that of a few popular celebrities. For a small fee, you could switch Alexa’s voice to that of Melissa McCarthy. Instead of saying, “Hey, Alexa”, you could say, “Hey, Shaq, tell me the weather.” Or you might have asked, “Hey, Samuel, how did all these snakes get on this plane?” If you enjoyed these, I am sorry to say that Alexa Celebrity Voices will soon be discontinued.
Samuel L. Jackson’s voice disappears from all Alexa devices on June 7, 2023. The others will depart on September 30, 2023. I see no explanation so far, but we might guess that Amazon decided to stop paying the licensing fees for these voices. Or perhaps they’re planning something AI-related for Alexa’s voice, and it isn’t compatible with these celebrity voice files or contracts.
In any case, the good news is that you can get a refund for any Alexa celebrity personalities that you paid for. But you have to ask for it! Amazon will only grant you your money back if you speak up and request it. And I imagine the sooner the better. Try this Amazon support link, scroll to the bottom of the page and get started with the Start a Chat Now section.
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