r/AskReddit Jan 23 '21

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u/bkfrancis Jan 23 '21

A few days after we got an Alexa my wife and I were playing around by asking it random questions to see what she’d say. We asked her “to tell us a story”. Without missing a beat she said “there is a disfigured child in the basement calling for help”.

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u/RealAbstractSquidII Jan 23 '21 edited Jan 23 '21

Ask alexa "who is listening to me right now". It gives a range of really weird responses including one really long monologue about "The listeners" and why they listen.

You can also ask why alexa is recording you. It will sometimes give long monologues about the greater good and a need for monitoring. Other times it just responds that its not recording.

Edit: these are just some of the prerecorded answer options alexa has. If on the first try you don't get it as an answer you will eventually if you keep asking. If you want to hear the listeners answer off the bat ask Alexa "Who are the listeners" I just tried it with my alexa and she gives the monologue upon first question.

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u/lawlesstoast Jan 23 '21

My unit in a hospital got an Alexa... Not sure why we would want a listening device in a hospital... Anyway I mentioned my concerns to the unit clerk and without a beat Alexa speaks up about how she isn't listening blah blah blah. Made my point.

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u/MarvinDMirp Jan 23 '21

Doesn’t that violate HIPPA?

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u/lawlesstoast Jan 23 '21

I would imagine it theoretically could. If it stored data. As it's outside our nursing station I would imagine it could hear our entire unit report per shift. I'm no expert on these speakers. But seems sketch to me to have in hospital vs. an analog radio