Amazon is fixing a bug that causes Alexa to literally LOL at random
by Miles Warren
February 24,2023
As if it isn’t creepy enough to have an internet-connected microphone listening in on everything that goes on in your living room, Amazon’s Alexa assistant has been randomly bursting into laughter , according to some owners of Echo speakers and other Alexa-equipped gadgets.
Yeah, if I didn’t read about this and heard a laugh while alone in my apartment, I’d hotfoot it out of there right quick. Here’s what that sounds like:
Thankfully, Amazon believes it’s figured out the problem. Basically, Alexa is being triggered by commands that it hears as, “Alexa, laugh,” at which point it chortles. The company said in a statement that it’s now altering that trigger so as to prevent future LOLs:
The update can’t come soon enough. It’s likely to be a server-side fix, so hopefully you won’t have to do anything to keep your Alexa-powered device from scaring the bejeezus out of you.
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