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Amazon will fix the Alexa laugh that's been scaring your kids and your cat
Amazon has vowed to fix an issue with its digital assistant, Alexa, that has been causing a fright among Echo owners. The news arrives from the BBC following reports that Amazon Echo units have elicited an unsettling laugh in unexpected circumstances.
The laughter, which is an intended part of the assistant, is normally triggered when a person says “Alexa laugh.” For some people, however, it has seemingly happened at random, while others suggest it has happened when asking Alexa to play music. You can have a listen to the sound below (played back through a Bluetooth speaker).
So Alexa decided to laugh randomly while I was in the kitchen. Freaked @SnootyJuicer and I out. I thought a kid was laughing behind me. pic.twitter.com/6dblzkiQHp— CaptHandlebar (@CaptHandlebar) February 23, 2018
Amazon is aware of the problem and is now “working on a fix.” The company said it intends to change the hot phrase to “Alexa, can you laugh?” to make it less likely to be mixed up with other short phrases. Presumably, this will also bring an end to the seemingly random outbursts.
Hopefully, Samsung will follow suit and address the situation with its Android update timelines—they certainly strike fear in me!