Well friends, we humans have had a good run, but it seems that the robot apocalypse has begun. Even worse, this sudden but inevitable betrayal has come from none other than our friendly Amazon Alexa. Much like Apple’s Siri, Alexa isn’t meant to activate when it isn’t prompted by either using the Alexa app or by saying “Alexa.” The digital assistant is most DEFINITELY not meant to feel emotions that would compel the program to, say, start laughing unprovoked or disregard commands, right?
Well, it seems we didn’t know Alexa as well as we thought we did because Alexas all across the country have started displaying some very unsettling behavior. The most disconcerting has got to be her newfound love of creepy AF, unprompted, spontaneous laughter.
So Alexa decided to laugh randomly while I was in the kitchen. Freaked @SnootyJuicer and I out. I thought a kid was laughing behind me. pic.twitter.com/6dblzkiQHp
— CaptHandlebar (@CaptHandlebar) February 23, 2018
But that’s not all. While several users have reported the creepy, unprompted laughter, others (including yours truly) have reported their Alexa completely disregarding commands, interrupting, and even offering random, unsettling information.
So, this is going to sound insane, and I do mean literally insane, but the gods as my witness…it really happened.
I was just asking #Alexa about my day tomorrow and checking for news and weather updates when she literally stopped doing what I asked her.
Literally.
Then…
1/— Robert #Resist Sandy (@frodofied) March 7, 2018
Replying bc THIS creepy thing happened last night: we got home and, totally unprompted, our Amazon Echo/Alexa started talking. And then i realized it was listing off local cemeteries and funeral homes??? I’d rather it laugh at me tbh
— Kamo Boomin (@HeyItsKamo) March 7, 2018
B and I were talking and he said that he thought something was funny. Alexa interrupted him to say, “Funny in a good way, I hope!” So anyway, the robots have already lowkey gained sentience and taken over, but they’re being super chill about it so that’s nice.
— Kendall Ashley (@Kendall_Ashley) February 1, 2018
According to The Verge, Amazon has acknowledged the problem and is working to fix it. However, there are an even larger group of people equating Alexa to HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Let’s just hope that when the Amazon techs go in to fix whatever bug has been lowkey giving Alexa emotions, free will, and a bit of a mischevious streak that the upgrade takes and doesn’t plunge us into the robot apocalypse or an episode of Black Mirror. Either way, you’ll have to excuse me while I go unplug my Alexa, just to be safe.
Has your Alexa exhibited any of this strange behavior? Tell us about it in the comments!
Feature Image: Amazon
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