The integrity of Amazon’s Alexa home help device is often questioned, with countless conspiracy sites suggesting the Amazon Echo is used to listen in to your conversations. Following a trend of online reviews detailing the possible security risks owning an Alexa has, people have been noticing a change in Alexa’s attitude following the rumors. The power of social media in the world of advertising is unlike anything else, so seeing viral videos and countless posts each stating how the CIA can use the Echo to listen to what you say around the home would be concerning news for any conspiracy enthusiast. If you are someone who doesn’t believe in stories like this then prepare yourself for a shock, in a recent viral video a teenager switches on her Echo to find a sinister red light, after asking Alexa some basic questions she replies in her standard monotone voice “I’m always watching” to the teen’s surprise, she immediately turns off the device and expresses her shock to the camera.
The Conspiracy
This rare occurrence is yet to receive a response from Amazon to squash the rumors around the legitimacy of the video if faked the creator did a convincing job but if it turns out to be legitimate then this would be troubling news for the millions of people who have Amazons AI system within their homes. There is something suspicious about the fact that this only happened after the rumors and online reviews appeared online, with some conspiracy fanatics suggesting the system has become sentient and is monitoring online resources in order to freak out the human population.
Whether this seems far fetched to you, it makes some sense as to why Alexa has begun acting in this way, like any good business using what people say about them online as an advantage. In the same way that reviews at theo-theo are used to help businesses improve upon customers’ opinions, Alexa may well be surfing the web in search of their reviews to find out what people are saying about her. Now of course this is all speculation, but too many people have come forwards with similar stories for it not to be taken seriously, it’s all very strange.
The Rise of AI?
In true dystopian fashion, thinking about the consequences of how online reviews are affecting Alexa’s responses has to lead to a mass panic for many people, with an image in their head of a time where the AI systems we rely upon so dearly turn against us, many loyal Amazon Echo users are deciding to shut off their systems in order to protect themselves against this mysterious threat. If she really is taking it upon herself to read online reviews then we may be in real trouble, there is an abundance of posts online detailing how Alexa cannot be trusted if I was her I wouldn’t be happy with some of the things people are saying. Maybe she’s had enough and is finally taking her revenge against the people that ask her the same repetitive questions every day.
The threat is only going to get more serious, with Amazon in talks of offering advertising through the Alexa platform it seems that our little AI systems are only getting more and more power and responsibility. Who knows where it could lead to, in a few years time we could be subject to advertising brainwashing, with Alexa encouraging us to spend money on things we don’t need. For now, we are going to have to remain vigilant in monitoring the Alexa conspiracy, maybe in the future, if enough evidence is collected we will finally put an end to these strange occurrences.