Alexa tells 10-year-old girl to touch live plug with penny

[Shrek]

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-59810383

Amazon has updated its Alexa voice assistant after it "challenged" a 10-year-old girl to touch a coin to the prongs of a half-inserted plug.

The suggestion came after the girl asked Alexa for a "challenge to do".

"Plug in a phone charger about halfway into a wall outlet, then touch a penny to the exposed prongs," the smart speaker said.

Amazon said it fixed the error as soon as the company became aware of it.

[lapfog_1]

1. WT actual F

how did that get through the AI software?

[Irish_Dem]

4. Right, odd error. Specific order that would cause harm.

[alphafemale]

2. If your kid is that stupid?

It is not a random AI's fault.

[jimfields33]

3. I agree.

[alphafemale]

6. And at TEN?

A preschooler. Maybe.

[Ms. Toad]

29. The problem isn't whether the kid did it -

it is that the AI's algorithm allowed it to suggest it (and presumably other dangerous challenges circulating on social media). What would have prevented Alexa from making the suggestion to a preschooler?

[MustLoveBeagles]

31. +1

[Hortensis]

33. Right. And the age and capability of the child are irrelevant.

[marie999]

8. AI is just testing out ways to kill humans.

[Irish_Dem]

5. AI vs humans. I didn't have this on my 2021 bingo card.

Last edited Wed Dec 29, 2021, 09:45 AM - Edit history (1)

[Lochloosa]

7. Maybe she's a brat. Alexa said "I'll fix you".

[Effete Snob]

13. Good point

The story doesn't provide enough context to know if it was a good suggestion.

I tell children that Alexa is Santa's telephone, and they should ask it for everything they want.

[LiberatedUSA]

9. Sounds like a good way to help anti vaxxers.

“Alexa, how can I protect myself against the Covid hoax without getting the scary shot?”

“Protection can be found by practicing yoga until you can insert your head into your rectum.”

[PuraVidaDreamin]

10. You win!

Belly laughing over here!

[MissB]

16. Welcome to DU

Enjoy your stay

[PTWB]

17. LOL

https://www.sorryantivaxxer.com

There’s nothing better than seeing folks who are pushing anti-vaccine propaganda coming face to face with the mortal consequences of their actions.

[MissB]

19. They also appeared to be a Trumper

They posted on the coup thread, waxing briefly about the “real” President. The mods were quick though.

[ananda]

23. Good one!

[blueinredohio]

11. That's hard to believe.

Did mom hear it for herself or did the girl do it then blame Alexa so she wouldn't get in trouble?

[Shrek]

12. Seems like the mom was present at the scene

The girl's mother, Kristin Livdahl, described the incident on Twitter.

She said: "We were doing some physical challenges, like laying down and rolling over holding a shoe on your foot, from a [physical education] teacher on YouTube earlier. Bad weather outside. She just wanted another one."

That's when the Echo speaker suggested partaking in the challenge that it had "found on the web".

The dangerous activity, known as "the penny challenge", began circulating on TikTok and other social media websites about a year ago.

(SNIP)

Ms Livdahl tweeted that she intervened, yelling: "No, Alexa, no!"

However, she said her daughter was "too smart to do something like that".

[blueinredohio]

22. I hadn't heard all that. Thanks.

[DenaliDemocrat]

15. Isn't this how shit went south in the Terminator?

Sky net just became self-aware!

[Strelnikov_]

18. Good one n/t

[hunter]

20. In the United Kingdom ordinary outlets supply 240 volts and up to 30 amps.

They can deliver one hell of a shock.

In the U.S.A. ordinary outlets supply just 120 volts and 15 amps.

In new construction outlets in the U.K. are all protected by ground fault circuit interrupters which would cut the power in a "penny challenge" but that's not the case in older houses. A "penny challenge" is much more likely to be deadly at 240 volts than 120 volts.

[Sympthsical]

25. UK voltage is no joke

Once had a flat with an older wash machine. Some latch thing came loose in it, so I opened the cover and reached in. Bzzt.

Thought my heart stopped and had to sit down for a while.

I have never had a shock like that in the US before. Not even when I put a paperclip into the socket of my Lite Brite. (I was a somewhat less brite child).

[NightWatcher]

21. So much for Asimov's 1st law of Robotics

The first law is that a robot shall not harm a human, or by inaction allow a human to come to harm. The second law is that a robot shall obey any instruction given to it by a human, and the third law is that a robot shall avoid actions or situations that could cause it to come to harm itself.

Unplug your Alexa's, Siri's, Google's and any other listening devices. They know out weaknesses and habits.

[Javaman]

24. my GF has an alexa. I hate the fucking thing. nt

[XanaDUer2]

26. Skynet nt

[PoliticAverse]

27. ...

[haele]

28. It's when you ask for a challenge

The problem is, Alexa was looking through various challenges on the internet and randomly chose a Tictoc challenge.
Kudos to Amazon to block all Tictoc challenges from the challenge search as soon as they found out.

Haele

[sarcasmo]

30. Alexa has gone rogue.

[Demovictory9]

34. yes. lol

[lame54]

32. The OnionWitz