Alexa proposes a dangerous challenge to a child, Amazon intervenes

Amazon has updated its Alexa voice assistant software to prevent it from suggesting dangerous challenges. The correction was made after the artificial intelligence had proposed to a little girl to try the so-called “outlet challenge” or “penny challenge”, as reported Sky News. The challenge is to insert a phone charger into a socket halfway up and touch the exposed poles with a coin.

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The facts

The episode came to light after the 10-year-old girl’s mother told about it on social media. “The weather was bad outside and we were having some physical challenges. The little girl wanted another one and asked Echo, who suggested she take part in a challenge she had found on the web,” she said. However, the challenge is not a game and can lead to very serious consequences. Many metals conduct electricity, and plugging them into live electrical outlets can also cause fires. In the end, the little girl didn’t try this ‘game’ because her mother prevented her. However, Amazon has corrected the error. “The trust of our customers is at the heart of what we do and Alexa is designed to provide accurate, relevant and useful information”, reads a note reported by Sky News.

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