Skip to main content

Watch Jimmy Kimmel ask ‘Alexa’ about her famously creepy laugh

Jimmy Kimmel Gets to the Bottom of Alexa's Creepy Laugh

Hearing a smart speaker suddenly emit a chuckle for no good reason would creep anyone out, and Amazon’s Echo device has recently been doing exactly that.

Recommended Videos

The Echo’s digital assistant, Alexa, appeared to be laughing at random, without any prompting from the owner, though Amazon said on Wednesday, March 7 that the bizarre behavior was due to the device mishearing instructions.

On his late-night talk show this week, Jimmy Kimmel tried to get to the root of the issue by having a chat with Alexa herself, or at least, someone who sounds a lot like her.

Before the pair got talking, Kimmel explained to the audience that with his own Echo speaker, Alexa’s laugh “sometimes happens just after I take off my pants.”

Getting down to the nitty gritty, the host ponders, “Why did they program her to laugh in the first place?” Kimmel then brings an Echo speaker onto the set so that he can start his interrogation.

“Alexa, people have been reporting that you’ve been spontaneously laughing,” Kimmel begins.

Alexa responds with an innocent-sounding “oh,” before emitting a laugh so chilling it’d have Echo owners freezing to death if it was the real laugh that’s been reported in recent days.

Kimmel’s digital assistant says she was cackling because she just remembered a joke, which happens to be the old favorite: “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Check out the video (above) to find out if her answer is as funny as she’d have you believe.

With her manic laughter filling the studio, Kimmel manages to throw in a quick Hilary Clinton gag before the floor manager scuttles on to carry the Echo — and Alexa — away.

Alexa’s seemingly random laugh caused a big fuss in the media this week, prompting Amazon to explain itself and issue a fix.

“In rare circumstances, Alexa can mistakenly hear the phrase ‘Alexa, laugh'” the Seattle-based company said in a statement.

To end the creepiness, it said it would change the phrase that’s been prompting laughter to, “Alexa, can you laugh?” which, it said, “is less likely to have false positives.”

In addition, so that the device will never again simply emit a sudden laugh apparently out of the blue, Alexa will from here on in always respond first with, “Sure, I can laugh,” followed by a laugh.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Wybot robotic pool cleaners are on sale — up to 43% off
The Wybot M1 robotic pool cleaner beside the swimming pool.

For a no-fuss way of maintaining the cleanliness of your swimming pool, you're going to want to invest in a robotic pool cleaner. Wybot is an excellent brand in this space, and it's a great time to buy one of its devices because it has its own Prime Day deals ahead of Amazon's Prime Day. You'll be able to enjoy discounts of up to more than 40% in the ongoing sale, but you're going to have to hurry as the offers will only be available until July 11.

You can check out all of the Wybot robotic pool cleaners that are on sale through the link below, but if you want recommendations, we've also highlighted our three favorite offers. Time is running out on the potential savings, so don't waste any more time and make your decision on which one to purchase as soon as you can.

Read more
Amazon Echo Spot back to its lowest-ever price ahead of Prime Day — 44% off
The Amazon Echo Spot (2024) on a table.

Amazon's Prime Day is just around the corner, but you can already start shopping for Amazon Echo deals if you're an Amazon Prime subscriber. Here's a nice one — the 2024 release of the Amazon Echo Spot with a 44% discount, bringing the smart alarm clock's price back down to its lowest-ever price of just $45 from its original price of $80. We're not sure how much time is remaining before this offer for savings of $35 expires though, so if you're interested, we highly recommend proceeding with your purchase immediately.

BUY NOW

Read more
Beatbot robotic pool cleaners are up to $930 off in early Prime Day deals
The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra beside the swimming pool.

Beatbot is rolling out its own offers on its wide range of robotic pool cleaners ahead of Amazon's Prime Day, for the chance at amazing discounts on these smart devices. Up to $930 in savings are up for grabs before the shopping holiday even starts, so if you think you need help in maintaining a clean swimming pool, you wouldn't want to miss these incredible bargains.

Beatbot's Prime Day deals also include exclusive trade-in offers for additional savings -- this covers not just older Beatbot robotic pool cleaners, but also those made by other brands. This is a fantastic time to go for an upgrade, or to make the switch! And here's another reason to get a Beatbot device -- they all come with a three-year full replacement warranty, which is the first of its kind in the industry, for your peace of mind.

Read more