Amazon Alexa recommends girl touches electric plug 

Amazon's Alexa voice assistant recommended a girl touch a coin onto the exposed prongs of a live electric plug, potentially causing her serious injury, or setting off an electric fire.

Having been asked by the 10-year old for a physical challenge to do, Alexa recommended that she 'Plug in a phone charger about halfway into a wall outlet, then touch a penny to the exposed prongs'.

The penny challenge is thought to have started circulating on TikTok over the past few months. 

Amazon said it removed the challenge from Alexa's database.

News, commentary, analysis 🗞️

• https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-59810383

• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10350249/Amazon-apologises-Alexa-challenges-10-year-old-girl-penny-prongs-plug.html

• https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/12/alexa-tells-10-year-old-to-try-a-shocking-tiktok-challenge/

• https://gizmodo.com/amazon-alexa-told-a-10-year-old-girl-to-play-with-a-liv-1848275928

• https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/amazons-alexa-reportedly-suggested-10-year-old-stick-a-penny-near-an-outlet/

• https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fixes-alexa-penny-challenge-error-girl-told-touch-outlet-2021-12

• https://metro.co.uk/2021/12/28/alexa-suggests-lethal-tiktok-challenge-to-10-year-old-15831550/

• https://www.pcmag.com/news/alexa-suggests-dangerous-outlet-challenge-to-10-year-old