Amazon Echo Users Report That Alexa is Randomly Bursting into Laughter

Full disclosure: you may not want to read this if you’re currently alone with your Amazon Echo.

Several people have reported that Alexa (a.k.a. the name of the voice that responds to voice commands via the Echo) is randomly bursting into a maniacal fit of laughter for no reason at all. The video footage will make your skin crawl—guaranteed.

https://twitter.com/CaptHandlebar/status/966838302224666624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theverge.com%2Fcircuitbreaker%2F2018%2F3%2F7%2F17092334%2Famazon-alexa-devices-strange-laughter

And that’s not all. One user reported that their Echo recently listed off all the funeral homes and cemeteries in the area, totally unprompted.

Replying bc THIS creepy thing happened last night: we got home and, totally unprompted, our Amazon Echo/Alexa started talking. And then i realized it was listing off local cemeteries and funeral homes??? I'd rather it laugh at me tbh

— Kameaux (@HeyItsKamo) March 7, 2018

Another Alexa spit out a random—and relatively creepy—fact about asteroids.

Me: dead silent

Alexa, unprompted: “what’s that massive fireball streaking across the sky” ?? pic.twitter.com/ILiBzjNVTd

— Kaitlin (@kaitlinmonte) March 2, 2018

WTF?!

Amazon acknowledged the creepy problem in a statement to The Verge on March 7, saying “[they’re] aware of this and working to fix it.” Apparently, Amazon plans to disable the phrase “Alexa, laugh,” and replace it with, “Alexa, can you laugh?” The company says the latter phrase is “less likely to have false positives,” an Amazon spokesperson said.