Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant, is not designed to endanger human lives but that’s exactly what it did over the weekend when it told a 10-year-old girl to touch a live electrical plug with a penny.
The suggestion was given out via an Echo smart speaker 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,” Alexa said.
An Amazon spokesperson told CNBC on Wednesday that the error had been fixed. Kristin Livdahl, the girl’s mother who reportedly lives in the U.S., described the incident in a tweet Sunday, which included a screenshot of the event as it appeared in the Alexa smartphone app.
According to CNET, The child reportedly asked an Amazon Echo smart device to suggest a challenge for her. Alexa responded by offering a challenge that it had “found on the web.”
A so-called “penny challenge” circulated earlier this year, a dangerous stunt that runs the risk of electrical fires and injuries. Amazon’s Echo products, which are operated by voice commands made to Alexa, are among the most popular smart-home devices. But Amazon and Alexa have come under criticism before, especially over privacy.
