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Incident 34: Amazon Alexa Responding to Environmental Inputs

Description: There are multiple reports of Amazon Alexa products (Echo, Echo Dot) reacting and acting upon unintended stimulus, usually from television commercials or news reporter's voices.

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Entities

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Alleged: Amazon developed and deployed an AI system, which harmed Alexa Device Owners.

Incident Stats

Incident ID
34
Report Count
35
Incident Date
2015-12-05
Editors
Sean McGregor
Applied Taxonomies
CSETv0, GMF, CSETv1, MIT

CSETv1 Taxonomy Classifications

Taxonomy Details

Incident Number

The number of the incident in the AI Incident Database.
 

34

CSETv0 Taxonomy Classifications

Taxonomy Details

Problem Nature

Indicates which, if any, of the following types of AI failure describe the incident: "Specification," i.e. the system's behavior did not align with the true intentions of its designer, operator, etc; "Robustness," i.e. the system operated unsafely because of features or changes in its environment, or in the inputs the system received; "Assurance," i.e. the system could not be adequately monitored or controlled during operation.
 

Robustness, Assurance

Physical System

Where relevant, indicates whether the AI system(s) was embedded into or tightly associated with specific types of hardware.
 

Consumer device

Level of Autonomy

The degree to which the AI system(s) functions independently from human intervention. "High" means there is no human involved in the system action execution; "Medium" means the system generates a decision and a human oversees the resulting action; "low" means the system generates decision-support output and a human makes a decision and executes an action.
 

Medium

Nature of End User

"Expert" if users with special training or technical expertise were the ones meant to benefit from the AI system(s)’ operation; "Amateur" if the AI systems were primarily meant to benefit the general public or untrained users.
 

Amateur

Public Sector Deployment

"Yes" if the AI system(s) involved in the accident were being used by the public sector or for the administration of public goods (for example, public transportation). "No" if the system(s) were being used in the private sector or for commercial purposes (for example, a ride-sharing company), on the other.
 

No

Data Inputs

A brief description of the data that the AI system(s) used or were trained on.
 

environment audio, Alexa software

GMF Taxonomy Classifications

Taxonomy Details

Known AI Goal Snippets

One or more snippets that justify the classification.
 

(Snippet Text: According to one couple on Twitter, their Amazon Echo lit up on Thursday night, not in response to their voice, but a voice the device heard on TV. , Related Classifications: AI Voice Assistant)

MIT Taxonomy Classifications

Machine-Classified
Taxonomy Details

Risk Subdomain

A further 23 subdomains create an accessible and understandable classification of hazards and harms associated with AI
 

5.1. Overreliance and unsafe use

Risk Domain

The Domain Taxonomy of AI Risks classifies risks into seven AI risk domains: (1) Discrimination & toxicity, (2) Privacy & security, (3) Misinformation, (4) Malicious actors & misuse, (5) Human-computer interaction, (6) Socioeconomic & environmental harms, and (7) AI system safety, failures & limitations.
 
  1. Human-Computer Interaction

Entity

Which, if any, entity is presented as the main cause of the risk
 

AI

Timing

The stage in the AI lifecycle at which the risk is presented as occurring
 

Post-deployment

Intent

Whether the risk is presented as occurring as an expected or unexpected outcome from pursuing a goal
 

Unintentional

Incident Reports

Reports Timeline

+1
People Are Complaining That Amazon Echo Is Responding to Ads on TV
Amazon Echo rogue payment warning after TV show causes 'Alexa' to order dolls houses+21
6-year-old accidentally orders high-end treats with Amazon's Alexa
+2
Teach Amazon Echo, Google Home Not To Respond To Your TV: Here's How
+6
Amazon has a clever trick to make sure your Echo doesn’t activate during its Alexa Super Bowl ad
Top 5 AI Failures From 2017 Which Prove That ‘Perfect AI’ Is Still A Dream
People Are Complaining That Amazon Echo Is Responding to Ads on TV

People Are Complaining That Amazon Echo Is Responding to Ads on TV

motherboard.vice.com

Amazon Echo rogue payment warning after TV show causes 'Alexa' to order dolls houses

Amazon Echo rogue payment warning after TV show causes 'Alexa' to order dolls houses

telegraph.co.uk

6-year-old accidentally orders high-end treats with Amazon's Alexa

6-year-old accidentally orders high-end treats with Amazon's Alexa

foxnews.com

Amazon gently stresses several ways Alexa could have stopped 6-year-old girl’s dollhouse order

Amazon gently stresses several ways Alexa could have stopped 6-year-old girl’s dollhouse order

geekwire.com

6-year-old orders doll house, cookies using Amazon’s Alexa app

6-year-old orders doll house, cookies using Amazon’s Alexa app

myfox28columbus.com

Girl asks Amazon's Alexa to order $160 doll house, cookies; parents surprised by delivery

Girl asks Amazon's Alexa to order $160 doll house, cookies; parents surprised by delivery

abc7ny.com

Who needs Santa? Girl asks Amazon's Alexa for dollhouse and cookies

Who needs Santa? Girl asks Amazon's Alexa for dollhouse and cookies

edition.cnn.com

TV news report prompts viewers' Amazon Echo devices to order unwanted dollhouses

TV news report prompts viewers' Amazon Echo devices to order unwanted dollhouses

foxnews.com

Child orders dollhouse, cookies using Alexa

Child orders dollhouse, cookies using Alexa

winknews.com

Girl who order dollhouse with Amazon's Alexa donates it to hospital

Girl who order dollhouse with Amazon's Alexa donates it to hospital

fox4news.com

TV anchor says live on-air 'Alexa, order me a dollhouse' - guess what happens next

TV anchor says live on-air 'Alexa, order me a dollhouse' - guess what happens next

theregister.co.uk

Amazon’s Alexa started ordering people dollhouses after hearing its name on TV

Amazon’s Alexa started ordering people dollhouses after hearing its name on TV

theverge.com

Amazon’s Alexa heard her name and tried to order up a ton of dollhouses

Amazon’s Alexa heard her name and tried to order up a ton of dollhouses

qz.com

Amazon Echo device ordered dollhouses being discussed on TV

Amazon Echo device ordered dollhouses being discussed on TV

dailymail.co.uk

Amazon Echo orders doll houses after 'hearing' TV presenter talking

Amazon Echo orders doll houses after 'hearing' TV presenter talking

news.sky.com

Newsreader says, ‘Alexa, buy a doll’s house’ on air - and Amazon Echos buy them

Newsreader says, ‘Alexa, buy a doll’s house’ on air - and Amazon Echos buy them

metro.co.uk

How Amazon’s Alexa accidentally ordered a bunch of dollhouses across San Diego

How Amazon’s Alexa accidentally ordered a bunch of dollhouses across San Diego

electronicproducts.com

Alexa Caused Numerous Amazon Orders For Dollhouses Across San Diego When TV Report Mentioned Its Name

Alexa Caused Numerous Amazon Orders For Dollhouses Across San Diego When TV Report Mentioned Its Name

techtimes.com

Amazon Echos accidentally order dollhouses after hearing US news programme

Amazon Echos accidentally order dollhouses after hearing US news programme

standard.co.uk

Amazon Echo's Alexa Went Dollhouse Crazy

Amazon Echo's Alexa Went Dollhouse Crazy

fortune.com

‘Alexa, sort your life out’: when Amazon Echo goes rogue

‘Alexa, sort your life out’: when Amazon Echo goes rogue

theguardian.com

Alexa Went On A Dollhouse Shopping Spree After Hearing “Command” From News Anchor On TV

Alexa Went On A Dollhouse Shopping Spree After Hearing “Command” From News Anchor On TV

itechpost.com

TV news anchor's report accidentally sets off viewers' Amazon's Echo Dots

TV news anchor's report accidentally sets off viewers' Amazon's Echo Dots

cbsnews.com

I may have found how Amazon prevents the echo from activating during commercials.

I may have found how Amazon prevents the echo from activating during commercials.

reddit.com

Teach Amazon Echo, Google Home Not To Respond To Your TV: Here's How

Teach Amazon Echo, Google Home Not To Respond To Your TV: Here's How

techtimes.com

How to Keep Amazon Echo and Google Home From Responding to Your TV

How to Keep Amazon Echo and Google Home From Responding to Your TV

wired.com

How parents can avoid this nightmare scenario: 'Alexa, order me a dollhouse'

How parents can avoid this nightmare scenario: 'Alexa, order me a dollhouse'

mashable.com

Amazon has a clever trick to make sure your Echo doesn’t activate during its Alexa Super Bowl ad

Amazon has a clever trick to make sure your Echo doesn’t activate during its Alexa Super Bowl ad

theverge.com

How Amazon Keeps Your TV From Accidentally Triggering Your Echo

How Amazon Keeps Your TV From Accidentally Triggering Your Echo

au.pcmag.com

Amazon reveals secret trick to stop your Alexa waking up during Echo TV ads

Amazon reveals secret trick to stop your Alexa waking up during Echo TV ads

thesun.co.uk

Amazon reveals how it stops Alexa responding to its hotword unintentionally

Amazon reveals how it stops Alexa responding to its hotword unintentionally

pocket-lint.com

Hey Alexa, is it true a TV advert made Amazon Echo order cat food?

Hey Alexa, is it true a TV advert made Amazon Echo order cat food?

theguardian.com

Amazon Echo Dot ad cleared over cat food order

Amazon Echo Dot ad cleared over cat food order

bbc.com

Hey Alexa, is it true a TV advert made Amazon Echo order cat food?

Hey Alexa, is it true a TV advert made Amazon Echo order cat food?

theguardian.com

Top 5 AI Failures From 2017 Which Prove That ‘Perfect AI’ Is Still A Dream

Top 5 AI Failures From 2017 Which Prove That ‘Perfect AI’ Is Still A Dream

analyticsindiamag.com

People Are Complaining That Amazon Echo Is Responding to Ads on TV
motherboard.vice.com · 2015

In June, Amazon made its always-listening personal assistant Echo available to all. It's a neat little device—basically, Siri in a cylinder—but not without its quirks.

According to one couple on Twitter, their Amazon Echo lit up on Thursday…

Amazon Echo rogue payment warning after TV show causes 'Alexa' to order dolls houses
telegraph.co.uk · 2016

Amazon Echo owners have been issued a security warning after a number in America automatically ordered dolls houses being discussed on a TV show. The high-tech gadgets have become a recent and welcome addition to hundreds of thousands of UK…

6-year-old accidentally orders high-end treats with Amazon's Alexa
foxnews.com · 2017

Amazon's Alexa sure is one high-class shopper.

The retail giant's Alexa voice assistant aims to revolutionize the shopping experience, but recently delivered a big surprise to one six-year-old's parents.

Dallas, Tx. resident Megan Neitzel, …

Amazon gently stresses several ways Alexa could have stopped 6-year-old girl’s dollhouse order
geekwire.com · 2017

Step away from the Dot, tiny online shopper.

When a 6-year-old girl in Texas managed to get herself a big tin of cookies and a fancy new dollhouse thanks to Amazon’s voice-enabled assistant Alexa in her family’s Echo device, the incident wa…

6-year-old orders doll house, cookies using Amazon’s Alexa app
myfox28columbus.com · 2017

DALLAS, Texas — It's the Amazon order that's gone viral.

A six-year-old girl's conversation with Amazon's voice-activated Echo Dot ended up with her parents being charged for a dollhouse and four pounds of cookies.

For 6-year-old Brooke Nei…

Girl asks Amazon's Alexa to order $160 doll house, cookies; parents surprised by delivery
abc7ny.com · 2017

DALLAS, Texas -- Amazon's voice-activated Echo Dot promises to make life a little easier for users. Alexa can provide weather updates, set alarms and help you shop.For 6-year-old Brooke Neitzel, the device made dollhouse dreams a reality."A…

Who needs Santa? Girl asks Amazon's Alexa for dollhouse and cookies
edition.cnn.com · 2017

Story highlights Amazon Echo Dot's digital assistant delivered when girl asked for a dollhouse and snacks

Family now requires a four-digit code before anything can be ordered via Alexa

(CNN) It was either a late Christmas present or an unfu…

TV news report prompts viewers' Amazon Echo devices to order unwanted dollhouses
foxnews.com · 2017

A TV news report in San Diego about the child that accidentally ordered a dollhouse via Amazon’s Alexa inadvertently set off some viewers’ Echo devices, which in turn tried to order dollhouses using Alexa.

The Amazon Echo devices connect to…

Child orders dollhouse, cookies using Alexa
winknews.com · 2017

Child orders dollhouse, cookies using Alexa

DALLAS (CNN) — It’s the amazon order that’s gone viral.

A 6-year-old girl’s conversation with Amazon’s voice-activated Echo Dot wound up with her parents being charged for a dollhouse and four pou…

Girl who order dollhouse with Amazon's Alexa donates it to hospital
fox4news.com · 2017
  • The 6-year-old North Texas girl who made headlines earlier this week after asking Amazon’s Alexa to order her a dollhouse and cookies has turned the incident into something positive.

Brooke Neitzel and her family ate the cookies, but dona…

TV anchor says live on-air 'Alexa, order me a dollhouse' - guess what happens next
theregister.co.uk · 2017

A San Diego TV station sparked complaints this week – after an on-air report about a girl who ordered a dollhouse via her parents' Amazon Echo caused Echoes in viewers' homes to also attempt to order dollhouses.

Telly station CW-6 said the …

Amazon’s Alexa started ordering people dollhouses after hearing its name on TV
theverge.com · 2017

Children ordering (accidentally or otherwise) items from gadgets is nothing new. Major retailers have refunded purchases made by children playing with phones or computers, and with voice-activated devices making their way into homes, it’s a…

Amazon’s Alexa heard her name and tried to order up a ton of dollhouses
qz.com · 2017

Alexa is turning out to be a pretty bad listener.

Streaming songs, ordering pizza, and booking cabs are no-brainers for Alexa, the voice-activated assistant installed on Amazon Echo devices. But Alexa also unfortunately appears to enjoy eng…

Amazon Echo device ordered dollhouses being discussed on TV
dailymail.co.uk · 2017

It is supposed to make life easier – but owners of the new Amazon Echo have fallen foul of the high-tech gadget's automatic features.

Owners of the device been warned after a number accidentally ordered dollhouses that were being discussed …

Amazon Echo orders doll houses after 'hearing' TV presenter talking
news.sky.com · 2017

Amazon released the Echo in the UK in September 2016

A US TV station has been inundated with complaints after viewers' voice-commanded Amazon Echo systems "heard" a presenter's remarks about doll houses - and started ordering them.

Using th…

Newsreader says, ‘Alexa, buy a doll’s house’ on air - and Amazon Echos buy them
metro.co.uk · 2017

Picture Amazon

Amazon’s new Echo device is programmed to respond to voice commands whenever it hears the word, ‘Alexa’ – and this can lead to disaster.

A newsreader in San Diego said, ‘Alexa, order me a dollhouse’ on air – while reporting o…

How Amazon’s Alexa accidentally ordered a bunch of dollhouses across San Diego
electronicproducts.com · 2017

It doesn’t take much to order a dollhouse mansion and four pounds of sugar cookies with an Amazon Echo

In an ironic turn of events, Amazon’s voice assistant, Alexa, is turning out to be quite a terrible listener (or perhaps it has some thin…

Alexa Caused Numerous Amazon Orders For Dollhouses Across San Diego When TV Report Mentioned Its Name
techtimes.com · 2017

Close

Children who have access to their parents' credit card may accidentally or intentionally buy stuff online without permission. That's mostly fine, if not an often cutesy mishap, making for some few laughs and an anecdote some years to …

Amazon Echos accidentally order dollhouses after hearing US news programme
standard.co.uk · 2017

ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You alre…

Amazon Echo's Alexa Went Dollhouse Crazy
fortune.com · 2017

Amazon Echo is a gift that keeps on giving.

Owners complained that their voice-activated devices set off on an inadvertent shopping spree after a California news program triggered the systems to make erroneous purchases, according a local r…

‘Alexa, sort your life out’: when Amazon Echo goes rogue
theguardian.com · 2017

Amazon Echo is apparently always ready, always listening and always getting smarter. So goes the spiel about the sleek, black, voice-controlled speaker, Amazon’s bestselling product over Christmas, with millions now sold worldwide. The prob…

Alexa Went On A Dollhouse Shopping Spree After Hearing “Command” From News Anchor On TV
itechpost.com · 2017

Alexa Went On A Dollhouse Shopping Spree After Hearing “Command” From News Anchor On TV

Close

When a news anchor for CW6 News in San Diego reported about a funny incident about a little girl and an Amazon Echo, little did he know that he wo…

TV news anchor's report accidentally sets off viewers' Amazon's Echo Dots
cbsnews.com · 2017

Dallas mom Megan Neitzel’s cautionary tale involving her 6-year-old daughter accidentally ordering pricey gifts through “Alexa,” Amazon’s voice-activated Echo Dot, went viral last week as stories about the incident were shared by news organ…

I may have found how Amazon prevents the echo from activating during commercials.
reddit.com · 2017

I noticed that the Amazon commercials usually do not trigger the device, or if they do, she only momentarily wakes before ignoring what is said. I did a little research tonight and found that the Echo, while it’s processing the wake word, s…

Teach Amazon Echo, Google Home Not To Respond To Your TV: Here's How
techtimes.com · 2017

Close

As you probably know by now, when your TV started blaring Google's Super Bowl ad, Google Homes across the nation promptly responded to the actors saying the "OK Google" command. The same happened to several Amazon Echo devices, which …

How to Keep Amazon Echo and Google Home From Responding to Your TV
wired.com · 2017

Voice assistants such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home are pretty smart, but they’re not yet sharp enough to understand the difference between TV and reality. A Google commercial during yesterday’s Super Bowl prompted Home to play whale n…

How parents can avoid this nightmare scenario: 'Alexa, order me a dollhouse'
mashable.com · 2017

Amazon Echo and Google Home can make you feel like you’ve stumbled across a genie: say what you want and, like magic, it appears on your doorstep. That's both cool and convenient — until it isn't.

And as the incident earlier this year where…

Amazon has a clever trick to make sure your Echo doesn’t activate during its Alexa Super Bowl ad
theverge.com · 2018

Amazon’s Super Bowl ad will air this Sunday in millions of homes across the country. But no matter how many times Jeff Bezos bewilderedly mutters “Alexa’s lost her voice?,” no Alexa devices should turn on during the commercial, according to…

How Amazon Keeps Your TV From Accidentally Triggering Your Echo
au.pcmag.com · 2018

If you haven't seen it by now, Amazon's Super Bowl LII commercial is fairly clever. Kudos to the company for coming up with a fun way to mash together celebrities and Alexa without it feeling overly cheesy or trying-too-hard. More important…

Amazon reveals secret trick to stop your Alexa waking up during Echo TV ads
thesun.co.uk · 2018

AMAZON has revealed how it stops your Amazon Echo speaker from waking up when the word "Alexa" is used in an official TV ad.

The company uses "acoustic fingerprints" that help your Echo understand that you're being advertised to, rather tha…

Amazon reveals how it stops Alexa responding to its hotword unintentionally
pocket-lint.com · 2018

There probably hasn't been a time that you've consciously been thankful for deep neural networks and machine learning, but that's what Amazon is using to ensure that Alexa doesn't respond to the "Alexa" keyword when you don't want it to.

To…

Hey Alexa, is it true a TV advert made Amazon Echo order cat food?
theguardian.com · 2018

An Amazon Echo owner has tried to get a television advertising campaign for the smart speaker banned after the Alexa virtual assistant attempted to order cat food when it heard its name on an ad.

An Amazon TV ad for the Echo Dot, which can …

Amazon Echo Dot ad cleared over cat food order
bbc.com · 2018

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Amazon Echo Dot TV commercial was cleared by the UK's advertising regulator

A television ad for Amazon's Echo Dot smart speaker that caused a viewer's device to try to order cat food has been c…

Hey Alexa, is it true a TV advert made Amazon Echo order cat food?
theguardian.com · 2018

An Amazon Echo owner has tried to get a television advertising campaign for the smart speaker banned after the Alexa virtual assistant attempted to order cat food when it heard its name on an ad.

An Amazon TV ad for the Echo Dot, which can …

Top 5 AI Failures From 2017 Which Prove That ‘Perfect AI’ Is Still A Dream
analyticsindiamag.com · 2018

We have in the past seen instances such as the failure of Microsoft bot Tay, when it developed a tendency to come up with racist remarks. Within 24 hours of its existence and interaction with people, it starting sending offensive comments, …

Variants

A "variant" is an incident that shares the same causative factors, produces similar harms, and involves the same intelligent systems as a known AI incident. Rather than index variants as entirely separate incidents, we list variations of incidents under the first similar incident submitted to the database. Unlike other submission types to the incident database, variants are not required to have reporting in evidence external to the Incident Database. Learn more from the research paper.

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