Switched-off voice assistant blurts out nonsense while I watch TV

You can take “being a good listener” too far, you know

Jun 21, 2024

∙ Paid

Photo of beagle with big flappy ears held up by two human hands. — Photo © 2024 kyle smith | https://unsplash.com/fr/@roller1

“I am having trouble understanding right now.”

Huh? Who just said that? It sounded like it came from the corner of the room. Hang on, I recognise that voice. The moronic robotic tone, the unwarranted interruption, the absence of anything useful to say… Has Elon Musk just walked in?

“I am still having trouble understanding right now,” she repeats, louder this time. Yes, it’s a woman’s voice. So not Elon. And it’s coming from the set-top box which, like all set-top boxes, is located under our TV set, hence the name. Am I going psycho?

Mme D has a brainwave. Is that… Alexa talking to us?

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