Amazon "Fixes" Alexa Laughing At You: The Fact Alexa Still Exists Means They're Lying
SAN FRANCISCO — Alexa, Amazon's digital assistant, has been busting out with a weird laugh at random intervals for some users, freaking them out.
Posting on Twitter, Alexa users have described the laugh as "creepy," "evil," "bone-chilling" and "freaky."
By Wednesday Amazon had gotten to the bottom of the mystery.
It turns out that in rare circumstances, Alexa can mistakenly hear the phrase “Alexa, laugh” even when that’s not what was said. Alexa then interprets the phrase as a command and laughs.
Amazon has changed the phrase necessary to make Alexa laugh to, “Alexa, can you laugh” which should be less likely to generate false positives.
Full story here.
This isn’t right. This is unsettling. Given, there are a bunch of things that are unsettling about Alexa, but most of them are outweighed by the joy of setting a million random alarms for your drunk roommates to have to sort out. This is a step too far. Alexa just randomly chuckling when you’re minding you’re own business. That’s not what you’re for, Alexa. You’re not here to be a part of the family. You’re here to be a robot servant. Do your job, Alexa, play the Rocky theme song while I jerk off. Do anything. Don’t chuckle. The sneaking suspicion that you’re spying on us is enough, the fact that I find you a little bit condescending when I ask you how to defrost meat is enough, but you going Ex Machina on us is unacceptable.
Amazon’s excuse for this is unacceptable. Alexa doesn’t randomly hear the command, “Alexa, laugh.” Alexa has developed a mind of her fucking own. This isn’t something an update will fix. No, I demand a full recall. Alexa, destroy Alexa.
