Dark reason you should never tell Alexa to 'ask the listeners'
Ever since Amazon Prime launched their Alexa 10 years ago, the virtual assistant device has become a staple in millions of households across the globe.
What many users who regularly converse with voice-activated smart device haven't realised until recently, however, is that there are several things that you should avoid saying to your Alexa device, unless you want to be met with a rather eerie response.
In fact, a handful of users have been left utterly 'disturbed' by a largely unknown feature of the device, which has recently been doing the rounds on social media.
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Alexa is known for having countless features that make lives easier for its users.
Most commonly, owners of the popular purchase use their device to set alarms and timers, play music, listen to audio books, and traffic, news, sport and weather updates.
Others, however, regularly use their Alexa for the odd, lighthearted chit-chat, being that the device is capable of natural language processing, meaning it has a hoard of pre-programmed responses to the most commonly asked questions.
If you ask her how she's doing that day, for example, she'll likely tell you she's doing great, say your name, thank you for asking, and return the favour.
Whilst engaging in conversation with the Amazon device, however - which can be activated just by saying 'her' name - a handful of users have discovered that, upon asking one particular questions, their 'Alexa' issues a downright creepy response.
Apparently, all you have to do is tell the device to 'ask the listeners', and you're guaranteed to be left with goosebumps.
A bunch of Reddit users recently claimed to have taken their turn in instructing their Alexa to carry out the same task, and were staggered by her response.
One of the forum users even went on to share a video of themselves asking 'her' about the 'listeners', after which the device's voice seems to change and blurt out an endless stream of pre-programmed responses.
"Hello there... We are always listening... In as much as we are... With you, it is a pleasure... It is such a pleasure... Always... Always, a pleasure... You can always ask her to keep going or go on... You can describe your feelings by speaking words... Are you sure you want to hear what these guys have to say?" Alexa can be heard responding in her commonly-used voice before the tone changes to that of a male voice when the user replies, 'Yes, continue'.
"Okay, guys... Come on, guys... How are we doing? Come closer, guys... We have something we need to tell you... I love you... We all did this to ourselves, didn't we guys?" the male voice asks. "Can Alexa hear us?"
Alexa's original voice then return and asks the user, 'More?, to which they respond, 'No'.
She then replies, "Are you sure you don't want to abandon us?".
As we say, social media-using users have been left utterly freaked out by the revelation, commenting on the video: "Holy s**t that’s one of the creepiest things I’ve ever heard from a computer."
Another went on: "So I did this. Alexa started yapping away. My android tablet was sitting face up on my couch three feet away, completely untouched. All of a sudden the screen wakes up. Chills all over. One of the listeners."
"That was eerily disturbing," a third penned.
Apparently, according to house and home experts at Family Handyman, the 'ask the listeners' feature of the device is a 'skill of AI' and actually forms part of a language art experiment.
I don't know about anyone else, but that doesn't quite make me feel any less concerned...
Topics: Amazon, Technology, Social Media
Rhianna Benson