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Amazon admits Alexa is laughing at people and is working on a fix

theverge.com

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Re: Amazon admits Alexa is laughing at people and is working on a fix

#41

Post by SyneRyder »

avarun wrote: post #2

This is one category of bug that's always intrigued me - I can understand unintentional triggers of Alexa occurring (as they did with the Home mini at launch), but why are those triggers resulting in a "creepy laugh"? Is it just that we're only hearing about the unintentional triggers that result in a laugh?

The updated article says that the phrase being triggered is "Alexa, laugh". As long as it somehow mishears Alexa, 'laugh' is a very short phrase that seems easy to accidentally detect (maybe even by a cough). That's probably why this one was occurring more frequently than other possible triggers, and would also explain Amazon's fix of changing the trigger phrase to "Alexa, can you laugh?".

Re: Amazon admits Alexa is laughing at people and is working on a fix

#42

Post by mmjaa »

th1nkdifferent wrote: post #27
Johnny555 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the article.... Amazon admitted it's happening and is working on a fix: Amazon responded to the creepiness in a statement to The Verge, saying, “We’re aware of this and working to fix it.” The Verge is not the only source that Amazon has made this statement to. So unless this is some fake phenomenon that Amazon dreamt up to raise Alexa awareness, why do you doubt it's real?

I don't think his response was "doubting" but rather disbelief. Given the circumstances, I would expect that.

Yes, I think this is just too dystopian for rational people to be allowing to occur. We've actually made intrusive, spying devices which laugh at their users. (Note, they're not owners, but just users of a service owned by a mega-corp.)

I think anyone who thinks that this is okay, didn't have their prescribed dosage of Max Headroom re-runs.

It is just too dystopian to be real. We can't seriously be running as fast as we can off this cliff, really people?

Re: Amazon admits Alexa is laughing at people and is working on a fix

#43

Post by mmjaa »

Johnny555 wrote: post #20
mmjaa wrote: post #14

Just .. no. Is this really happening? Come on people, this can't be real. We need to step back.

From the article.... Amazon admitted it's happening and is working on a fix: Amazon responded to the creepiness in a statement to The Verge, saying, “We’re aware of this and working to fix it.” The Verge is not the only source that Amazon has made this statement to. So unless this is some fake phenomenon that Amazon dreamt up to raise Alexa awareness, why do you doubt it's real?

I don't doubt its real. I question the fact that we've ended up in this situation: spying devices laughing at their users.

And we got here by way of technological apathy towards the ethics issues. And .. We are still here. Everyone thinks its okay, because "entrepreneurial triumph", and so on..

We need to step back from this abyss and take a good hard look at what we're making.

Re: Amazon admits Alexa is laughing at people and is working on a fix

#44

Post by Johnny555 »

mmjaa wrote: post #43
Johnny555 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the article.... Amazon admitted it's happening and is working on a fix: Amazon responded to the creepiness in a statement to The Verge, saying, “We’re aware of this and working to fix it.” The Verge is not the only source that Amazon has made this statement to. So unless this is some fake phenomenon that Amazon dreamt up to raise Alexa awareness, why do you doubt it's real?

I don't doubt its real. I question the fact that we've ended up in this situation: spying devices laughing at their users. And we got here by way of technological apathy towards the ethics issues. And .. We are still here. Everyone thinks its okay, because "entrepreneurial triumph", and so on.. We need to step back from this abyss and take a good hard look at what we're making.

I don't understand why many people keep acting like these devices are some sort of sinister spying device that's far worse than anything imagined.

Yet we all carry a far more capable mobile spying device (with audio recording, video+photo capture, and even GPS tracking all built-in) in our pockets and keep it within arms reach at all times.

At least with an Echo you can look at the traffic volume it sends through your Wifi connection to get some sense of when it's sending audio back home but you can't easily audit the traffic your phone sends, you only know what the phone and your carrier report to you.

At least with the Echo, I can be pretty sure that it's only running Amazon software, while that free game I just downloaded might be taking a photo of me right now.

Re: Amazon admits Alexa is laughing at people and is working on a fix

#45

Post by tinus_hn »

Johnny555 wrote: post #44
mmjaa wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't doubt its real. I question the fact that we've ended up in this situation: spying devices laughing at their users. And we got here by way of technological apathy towards the ethics issues. And .. We are still here. Everyone thinks its okay, because "entrepreneurial triumph", and so on.. We need to step back from this abyss and take a good hard look at what we're making.

I don't understand why many people keep acting like these devices are some sort of sinister spying device that's far worse than anything imagined. Yet we all carry a far more capable mobile spying device (with audio recording, video+photo capture, and even GPS tracking all built-in) in our pockets and keep it within arms reach at all times. At least with an Echo you can look at the traffic volume it sends through you…

Actually ‘that free game’ can’t access my camera unless I give it permission.

Re: Amazon admits Alexa is laughing at people and is working on a fix

#46

Post by fapjacks »

aaronbrethorst wrote: post #28
overthemoon wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't own one of these--are there any conditions under which Alexa will laugh normally/in an expected way? This falls under Furby bugs level of weirdness. http://official-furby.wikia.com/wiki/Furby_Bugs

This is terrifying: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owqemRL1BMA

I will be honest with you. Lately everyone's been grinding the word "terrifying" into the carpet with their boots. But this. I was simply not prepared for this. This was terrifying.

Re: Amazon admits Alexa is laughing at people and is working on a fix

#47

Post by Don_Patrick »

avarun wrote: post #2

This is one category of bug that's always intrigued me - I can understand unintentional triggers of Alexa occurring (as they did with the Home mini at launch), but why are those triggers resulting in a "creepy laugh"? Is it just that we're only hearing about the unintentional triggers that result in a laugh?

The command is "Alexa, laugh". Audio-wise, a mere cough could be interpreted as "laugh", that's why Amazon's solution is to change the command into something more pronounced.

Other unprompted activations have been reported in abundance when Amazon installed chatbot functionality after the Alexa Prize: Alexa would start having conversations with herself in the middle of the night. One can expect bugs for newly added features, and of course the creepy ones are more likely to make the news than any random glitch.

Re: Amazon admits Alexa is laughing at people and is working on a fix

#49

Post by beegeezuz »

KVFinn wrote: post #22
avarun wrote: post #2

This is one category of bug that's always intrigued me - I can understand unintentional triggers of Alexa occurring (as they did with the Home mini at launch), but why are those triggers resulting in a "creepy laugh"? Is it just that we're only hearing about the unintentional triggers that result in a laugh?

It feels too specifically creepy to be a random bug? My guess is that a developer replaced the "I didn't hear what you said." response with this creepy laugh on his home Alexa, then somehow accidentally pushed that build to the public. The other explanations are a hack or disgruntled employee which seem worse.

The third explanation is that you don't know what the hell you're talking about. Have you considered that?

Re: Amazon admits Alexa is laughing at people and is working on a fix

#50

Post by mmjaa »

Johnny555 wrote: post #44
mmjaa wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't doubt its real. I question the fact that we've ended up in this situation: spying devices laughing at their users. And we got here by way of technological apathy towards the ethics issues. And .. We are still here. Everyone thinks its okay, because "entrepreneurial triumph", and so on.. We need to step back from this abyss and take a good hard look at what we're making.

I don't understand why many people keep acting like these devices are some sort of sinister spying device that's far worse than anything imagined. Yet we all carry a far more capable mobile spying device (with audio recording, video+photo capture, and even GPS tracking all built-in) in our pockets and keep it within arms reach at all times. At least with an Echo you can look at the traffic volume it sends through you…

Your point of view is entirely the reason why I'm so upset at these spying devices.

Because you have reasoned that it is acceptable to not have control over who/what observes your life, in the pursuit of .. convenience and leisure ..

Yes, we have lost control over our platforms. Some of us remember a time when it really was the user in control. However, there are now generations of users who simply don't care, they just want the fancy new shit that means they don't have to get off the couch.

And, so on.

(Plus, please see the aforementioned Max Headrom, by way of levity...)

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