Alexa gives dangerous challenge to 10 year old

[bernardgreen]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/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.

 

[RandomGrinch]

This does remind me of....

 

[Notch7]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/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.

Alexa was probably fed up being ordered around by a 10 year old

 

[motorbiking]

wtf, how did that get in there? I suspect it was proceeded by something like "here is something I found on the web".

 

[BlueLoo]

wtf, how did that get in there? I suspect it was proceeded by something like "here is something I found on the web".

Exactly.

A load of ****** probably

 

[bernardgreen]

A load of ****** probably

The girl asked Alexa to suggest a challenging activity she could try to master. The algorithm in the Alexa system searched ( using Bing ? ) for challenges that have been posted to various internet sites and offered one of them to the girl. The algorithm appears to have had no means of checking the challenges it finds for safety.

There have been other dangerous challenges offered to people,

https://www.forbes.com/sites/edward...about-lethal-viral-challenge/?sh=4ad2f16e39b6

 

[motorbiking]

I'm surprised Alexa didn't try to sell the parent an RCD.

 

[bernardgreen]

I'm surprised Alexa didn't try to sell the parent an RCD.

The damage to the child would be flash burns as the arc between coin and pins vaporised metal until such time of the overcurrent device ( MCB or fuse ) operated and cut the power.

 

[JohnD]

The damage to the child would be flash burns as the arc between coin and pins vaporised metal until such time of the overcurrent device ( MCB or fuse ) operated and cut the power.

Unless the plug was a modern UK standard 13A plug, with plastic shielded pins, and a UK standard 13A socket that does not make contact with the pins until they are pushed in far enough to prevent you touching the live part.

The Forbes article probably refers to a US plug and socket, which are notoriously unsafe.

UK

Home of the worlds finest plugs.

 

[conny]

Unless the plug was a modern UK standard 13A plug, with plastic shielded pins, and a UK standard 13A socket that does not make contact with the pins until they are pushed in far enough to prevent you touching the live part.

The Forbes article probably refers to a US plug and socket, which are notoriously unsafe.

UK

Home of the worlds finest plugs.

That is only dependent if people fit them and fit them correctly. Whenever I buy a new appliance which has a plug I immediately check it is one of the new standard and, if not, I change it for one that is.

What puzzles me is so many people go on about reducing carbon footprints, re-cycling everything, banning smoking, buying electric vehicles, preach about taking more exercise so go and buy an electric/electronic bike or exercise machine etc, etc and then they go and buy more amounts of electronic devices to help them relax so they don't have to get off their backsides to tune a radio, change a CD, watch a different TV channel etc

 

[RandomGrinch]

Unless the plug was a modern UK standard 13A plug, with plastic shielded pins, and a UK standard 13A socket that does not make contact with the pins until they are pushed in far enough to prevent you touching the live part.

The Forbes article probably refers to a US plug and socket, which are notoriously unsafe.

UK

Home of the worlds finest plugs.

Yes, the 'challenge' relates to US sockets and the US One Cent coin - a 'Penny'.

...and yes, it is difficult to achieve the same effect with a UK plug and socket - hence the video I linked too, where Electroboom does his best!

 

[^woody^]

Yes I saw the dramatic headline on my BBC news feed, along with four other "news" stories that were US specific. Seriously, the BBC interns must just trawl Google for news.

On the subject of the world's finest plugs, we probably have the best light [bayonet] fittings too. However I do see more any more sales text referring to selecting between "old fashioned" bayonet fittings or "modern" screw fittings.

 

[motorbiking]

why is BC better than ES?

 

[ellal]

Question is, who continues to use an 'alexa' in their house?

Oh that's right it's a brain dead person who can't think for themselves and find out the implications!

Ps. before mottie the stalker spouts it's usual b*llshit I ditched the firestick when I realised it's capability

 

[Mottie]

Ps. before mottie the stalker spouts it's usual b*llshit I ditched the firestick when I realised it's capability

Yer, of course you did. I must have missed that post. How unlike you to miss an opportunity to rubbish something. Anyway, what capability are you talking about - you were asking questions about getting an extra one a while back and whether you could use them both on the same account.

Does your family still have their Amazon account these days or have you taken it away from them?