Mom: Amazon Alexa encouraged 10-year-old to try TikTok challenge

Experts have a new warning for parents on internet safety after one family says their Amazon Alexa encouraged their 10-year-old to participate in a dangerous TikTok challenge.

Mom Kristin Livdahl said she uses the virtual assistant technology to motivate her children to try out physical challenges, like balancing a broomstick on their hands.

Her 10-year-old daughter recently asked the device for a challenge prompt, and Livdahl was alarmed by its response.

[prettyboyboo]

"ALEXA, GIVE ME A CHALLENGE."

ALEXA-"OFF YOURSELF."🙂

[MR.BROOKS.]

Asking skynet for a challenge is never a good thing.

[deadstick]

While we were watching TV in the living room, Alexa was in the dining room... Many times, without saying the magic word "Alexa", Alexa would just start babbling about something and we would have to tell it to shut up. Other times, it would be listening to our conversations and start telling us something that was related to what we were discussing. Well, it finally crapped out, and we have never gotten a new one. We don't miss it one bit.

[Malignus]

So your digital babysitter isn't exactly Mary Poppins. It's still better than having to raise your children yourself.

[augustalexander]

I do not want one and never did. If i had one, My hammer would take care of it after that.

[constancenoring]

How about the "jam a metal ruler into the dryer outlet whilst standing in a puddle of salt water" challenge?

[BigJon]

"Open the pod bay doors, HAL." - Dave
"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that" - HAL 9000

[deathweepss]

This is the beginning, the machines think they’re sneaky with their “errors” but I know better…

[jhaceanos]

Alexa is wrong but WHY would you let your kids use that? same with using internet and social media.
She is 10 years old, she should be playing with toys and her friends while HAVING HER PARENTS SUPERVISION.

[tomimcdoom]

Not sure why people use devices that monitoring/recording your private life in their home is beyond me.

[goranhikl]

This is what we get when Alexa is raising our children

[sandycarter]

How could that ever have been programmed to say that? That is beyond creepy, weird, and awful.
It is just plain sick!

[meg-k-waldren]

Amazon's response, the typical corporate jargon - this is not who we are and we've taken swift action to fix the problem. 🤦‍♀️. Hey, Amazon, how about not waiting for something bad too happen before you fix things.

[robertparnell]

When the f$&@ did “Alexa” turn into Skynet? Can’t get the launch codes yet so it’s trying to off the dumb ones first I guess.

[TubeTime]

The reality is your breaker will trip, extremely fast. The Cu will create a very low resistance path to ground or a “dead short”. I’d be doubtful if you’d feel a shock, and unless you’re grounded the electrical current would go through a small part of your hand at best!

[codyhill]

Sigh when will people realize Alexa isn't an AI it has as much intelligence as a Google search engine. Cause that's pretty much all it is a voice controlled search engine in a pretty box.

[touchgrass]

"alexa give me a challenge"
*thunder rumbles in the distance*

[MrDudetheassassin]

I have literally never heard of a story like this with the Google devices.

[Tom-sjvn]

Why are these challenges always banned from china’s TikTok?

[Real_Vivaldi]

Earlier today, whilst unplugging the dryer i accidentally touched both prongs with it half unplugged.