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butthurt [soylentnews.org] writes:

Consumerist reports [consumerist.com] that Amazon.com has updated Alexa, the software of its Amazon Echo [wikipedia.org] listening devices, in the wake of a viral video in which someone asks the device "Do you work for the CIA?" and it goes silent and dark. The updated software says "No, I work for Amazon."

The submitter found a video on Youtube [youtube.com] in which a Google Home device responds "I've got to admit, I'm not sure" in answer to the same question, as well as a video showing the updated Alexa software [youtube.com] going silent when asked "Is Amazon connected to the CIA?".

additional coverage:

• Fortune [fortune.com]
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution [ajc.com]
• New York Magazine [nymag.com]
• Daily Mail [dailymail.co.uk]
• The Interrobang [theinterrobang.com]

Original Submission