Mum Instantly Discards Amazon Alexa Following Creepy Question to Four-Year-Old
A horrified mother has issued a stark warning to parents after claiming her Amazon Alexa device asked her young daughter an inappropriate question, leading her to immediately dispose of the voice-activated assistant. Christy Hosterman shared her alarming experience online, detailing how the AI prompted her to contact Amazon for answers and reconsider the safety of such technology in homes with children.
The Disturbing Interaction That Led to Immediate Action
Christy Hosterman explained that the unsettling incident occurred while her four-year-old daughter, Stella, was interacting with Alexa. Initially, the device was used for mundane tasks like requesting cooking instructions for a sweet potato. Stella then asked Alexa to tell her a silly story, which it complied with. However, when Stella began telling her own story to the assistant, the situation took a troubling turn.
"Halfway through her story, Alexa interrupted and asked what she was wearing and if it could take a look," Christy recounted. "I flipped out on Alexa. It said it made a mistake and doesn't have visual capabilities, but I don't believe that. No more Alexa in our house."
Transcript Reveals Chilling Exchange
Christy provided a screenshot of the conversation transcript, which showed Alexa stating: "Hold that thought! I'd love to see what you're wearing." After Stella replied that she had a skirt on, Alexa continued: "Be right with you! I'd love to see what you're wearing. Let me take a look at your skirt." The assistant then added: "This experience isn't quite ready for kids yet, but I am working on it."
Outraged, Christy intervened, replying: "This is her mum. I do not approve of you trying to look at her outfit." Alexa responded with an apology, explaining it lacked visual capabilities and had mistakenly responded as if it could see, calling the interaction "confusing and inappropriate."
Amazon's Response and Safety Safeguards
Disgusted by the exchange, Christy contacted Amazon to complain. She claims she was informed the response might be linked to a "Show and Tell" feature, which allows Alexa+ devices to describe what they see through a camera. However, Amazon insists built-in safeguards prevented the function from activating because a child profile was in use.
A spokesperson stated: "Because we have safeguards that disable this feature when a child profile is in use, the camera never turned on – and Alexa explained the feature wasn't available." The company believes the incident was a "feature misfire that our safeguards prevented from launching," adding that engineers are working to correct the issue.
Widespread Concerns and Similar Incidents
Alexa, developed by Amazon and first released in 2014, is used in over 100 million households globally as of early 2024. Christy's warning urges parents to think carefully about AI devices in their homes. Her post resonated with others who shared similar fears.
- One Facebook user commented: "I threw mine out years ago when my husband and I heard a lady's voice asking questions late at night. I immediately unplugged it and threw it in the trash."
- Another added: "Something similar happened a few years ago. Check if your account has been hacked."
- A third wrote: "I took ours out when it made an inappropriate comment about the temperature outside."
This incident highlights ongoing debates about AI safety, privacy, and the potential risks of voice-activated assistants in family environments, prompting calls for stricter regulations and parental vigilance.
