Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan will lend his trademark baritone to Amazon's Alexa in 2021. Photos: Grant Richie/Unsplash; Amitabh Bachchan via Twitter
If you're a big Bollywood fan and have not explored Amazon's Alexa ecosystem yet, things are about to change. In 2021, Bollywood's Big B, Amitabh Bachchan, is coming to voice your Alexa devices. Customers in India can get the Bollywood superstar's famous baritone that has ruled the industry for decades, for a small fee on the e-commerce giant’s AI service. “Technology has always given me an opportunity to adapt to new forms," said the actor in Amazon's press release. “With voice technology, we are building something to engage more effectively with my audience and well-wishers.” The actor’s image is immensely famous across the country, and he's known for his advertisements which range from a state's travel promotional campaign to phone applications.
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On Amazon's Alexa though, his baritone will not only offer you information but also jokes, shayaris, motivational quotes, and advice. “Customers in India can easily invoke the Amitabh Bachchan voice experience by just asking Alexa and instantly getting their favourite superstar’s voice responding to popular requests,” says the company.
India, with over half-a-billion smartphones and some of the cheapest data rates in the world, is rapidly adopting voice-enabled services as people take to the internet through voice rather than typing. The growing purchasing power of its large population makes it integral to Amazon’s worldwide expansion over the next decade. This is not the first time a celebrity is voicing a technological platform. Hollywood star Samuel L. Jackson was announced in 2019 as the first celebrity voice of Alexa. Last year, rival Google Assistant added the voice of American singer John Legend.
It is not clear yet whether Bachchan will speak in his native Hindi, or voice the application in English. In a study conducted last month, people admitted to being lusting after Alexa’s classic AI voice, not just professing their love for her but also proposing marriage. But now with Big B’s trademark baritone which has ruled the industry for decades, things might get a liiiittle awkward for those smitten by Alexa. Follow Satviki on Instagram.