Echo User Asked Alexa If She Was Connected To The CIA, And Her Response Is Haunting
Nov. 18 2019, Updated 2:19 p.m. ET
I hate to break it to you, in case you didn't already know, but the NSA can view all of your text messages, photos, screenshots, and phone call records at any given point in time.
Some messaging platforms are encrypted, like Whatsapp, but even then there's a good choice that if someone at the NSA wants to get their hands on your data, that they will.
And with the greater presence of "always on" technology filling our homes like the Amazon Echo and Google Home, people are worried that their conversations are being constantly recorded. It sounds like an intel-gatherers dream.
So, when this Amazon Echo owner asked its device if it was connected to the CIA, the response wasn't exactly encouraging.
Reddit user DominarRygelThe16th uploaded the spooky video and here's how the conversation went down:
"Alexa, would you lie to me?" asks the owner.
The echo responds with, "I always try to tell the truth. I'm not always right, but I would never intentionally lie to you or anyone else."
Then the person asks, "Alexa, what is the CIA?" and the Echo answers, "The United States Central Intelligence Agency—CIA."
The owner asks the CIA question again, "Alexa, are you connected to the CIA?"
The echo doesn't give a direct answer, putting out the same canned response.
Alexa gave a pretty political response, saying she wouldn't intentionally lie, but that sounds like some Congressional level fibbery right there. But can robots really ever go outside their programing? If she's programed to say no, there's really no way she could know IF she was lying. So it's still pretty creepy to think the CIA could be listening to us pretty much whenever.
I mean yeah, maybe the CIA doesn't need to hear you in some trivial argument with your significant other, nor will they care about your passionate arguments with your friends why Hugh Jackman is too tall to play Wolverine.
The scariest part about the story is that Amazon quickly learned of the CIA question and updated the Echo to give a better response.
Reddit user porntipsguzzzardo asked their device the same question and the response was that the echo "works for Amazon." Sure, Alexa, like you weren't just programmed to say that...Right? Conspiracy time!
