Echo & Alexa Forums

General Category => Amazon Echo Discussion => Topic started by: PaulKTF on March 05, 2018, 06:02:07 pm

Title: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: PaulKTF on March 05, 2018, 06:02:07 pm
Has anyone here experienced this? How odd!

https://www.buzzfeed.com/venessawong/amazon-alexa-devices-are-laughing-creepy?utm_term=.jugjrbxMlN#.bsJGgr7BzM
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: tthoben on March 05, 2018, 07:14:50 pm
Has anyone here experienced this? How odd!

https://www.buzzfeed.com/venessawong/amazon-alexa-devices-are-laughing-creepy?utm_term=.jugjrbxMlN#.bsJGgr7BzM

Nope but that would be really scary to my wife and kid
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: mike27oct on March 06, 2018, 01:43:19 am
I was startled a week ago by Alexa.  I had just finished listening to radio program on my Tap, and was picking it up to shut it down when alexa calmly asked me "Are you Michael?"  !!!!  I hesitated a moment and she asked again.  So I said Yes.  She said. I want to ask you a few questions so I can learn your voice, OK?  I answered Sure, and Alexa asked me to pronounce 20 words after her.  She then thanked me and flew off in her flying saucer.

I thought this was an optional feature in app settings, but this question from Alexa came out of the blue.
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: Laurel on March 06, 2018, 04:36:41 pm
I was startled a week ago by Alexa.  I had just finished listening to radio program on my Tap, and was picking it up to shut it down when alexa calmly asked me "Are you Michael?"  !!!!  I hesitated a moment and she asked again.  So I said Yes.  She said. I want to ask you a few questions so I can learn your voice, OK?  I answered Sure, and Alexa asked me to pronounce 20 words after her.  She then thanked me and flew off in her flying saucer.

I thought this was an optional feature in app settings, but this question from Alexa came out of the blue.
That was a little creepy.  It wouldn't take much for you to spill the beans to enemy agents lol. So says the gal that has been paying Credit Karma for 3 months for free credit score. 

Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: mike27oct on March 06, 2018, 07:34:33 pm
Yea, and after playing 20 QUESTIONS, and a request by alexa to give her time to get this setup for me, I still do not have voice recog.  And, I really don't care to anyway  Seems insignificant anyway.  Ordering stuff via Alexa by voice does not excite me in the least.
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: AlanH on March 07, 2018, 02:47:31 pm
Story here on 9TO5Mac:
https://9to5mac.com/2018/03/07/lol-alexa/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: scottrods on March 07, 2018, 09:51:16 pm
The laugh made the news today in Dallas...
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: mike27oct on March 07, 2018, 10:13:49 pm
I would not be surprised to hear that it was either 1) an inside prank by an Amazon employee or 2) an "implant" from an external hacker (Russians perhaps?).
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: strayfish on March 08, 2018, 03:52:46 am
I'll see your Dallas news and raise you the actual BBC! They played a clip of the laugh - does it sound like the Alexa voice to you? Mine's British and it doesn't (which makes it even creepier) but maybe it does if you have the US version.
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: renegade600 on March 08, 2018, 05:21:46 am
just asked alexa to laugh and all it said was te he.  thats it.  maybe someone found a way to drop in everyones alexa.  at least its not giving a maniacal laugh and asking for the color of your underwear. 
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: strayfish on March 08, 2018, 07:14:12 am
Yikes!
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: mike27oct on March 08, 2018, 01:26:42 pm
I also asked Alexa to laugh last night (she also said tee-hee after hearing the mechanical and stiff he, he, he on NBC News. Definitely was not Alexa's voice.  Probably a hack (as a test of the break in before inflicting more serious damage?)
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: renegade600 on March 08, 2018, 05:13:45 pm
it's fixed now.  you can no longer ask alexa to laugh, by saying "alexa laugh"

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/3/7/17092334/amazon-alexa-devices-strange-laughter

Quote
fix will involve disabling the phrase, “Alexa, laugh,” and changing the command to “Alexa, can you laugh?” The company says the latter phrase is “less likely to have false positives,”
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: mike27oct on March 08, 2018, 06:37:37 pm
Actually, I never asked, "Alexa, laugh".  Coincidentally, I asked yesterday or so, "Alexa, can you laugh?" and she responded as described in article.  The fix by Amazon sounds more like a cover up than a real fix. How does this prevent the random pop ups of the laughter occurring.  This laugh is not a tee-hee spoken by Alexa.
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: strayfish on March 09, 2018, 03:21:12 am
I agree, Mike, it wasn't an Alexa sound so it was either a random intrusion or a deliberate one.
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: mike27oct on March 09, 2018, 03:37:47 pm
This event is not over yet. 
Wait until Amazon admits that millions of account owners info has been stolen by hackers who mocked Amazon with the insidious HA HA HA intrusion.

I continue to be angry that Amazon makes me give my credit card number rather than use my PayPal account.  I removed my CC from Newegg after my CC account was used to buy something at another LA business the same day I bought an item from Newegg.  I only pay with PayPal when I can.
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: tuicemen on March 09, 2018, 07:56:30 pm
  The fix by Amazon sounds more like a cover up than a real fix. How does this prevent the random pop ups of the laughter occurring.  This laugh is not a tee-hee spoken by Alexa.
Agreed! I don't see how that fixes the reported whistling or speaking out of the blue with out being asked and nothing appearing in the history to suggest it was a response to a request.  ::)
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: mike27oct on March 09, 2018, 11:16:46 pm
 Yep, as Yogi said, "It ain't over until it's over!"

Amazon is likely scrambling to find source of intrusion and any other damage done.  Meanwhile, their limp reply is only a placebo.
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: bevhoward on March 13, 2018, 01:26:13 pm
fwiw, something is still going on.

Alexa started talking for a few seconds this morning.

Later, I asked "Alexa, Play last sound"

Alexa answered "I can't play what was said on 'Tune In Live'"

We have never subscribed to Tune In Live.

Alexa history does not show anything after the last request we made prior to the uncommanded phrase we heard.

This seems to be a bug, probably due to the high loads that are straining the system.

Beverly Howard
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: bevhoward on March 13, 2018, 03:59:02 pm
Just happened again... same response of "I can't play the last _song_ on Tune In Live.

Beverly Howard
Title: Re: People are reporting Alexa laughing at random
Post by: mike27oct on March 13, 2018, 04:29:34 pm
Speaking when not spoken to is a bad habit of Alexa sometimes.  Whenever Alexa acts up in any way, just reboot it by unplugging device for five minutes and then restart.  Fixes lot of problem on lots of devices!