# Amazon's Alexa just can't be trusted **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 16, 2024, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628 "2024-02-16T00:26:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628/21 "2024-02-16T17:12:05Z")
Wild. I asked “what’s the date of Valentine’s Day?” and got the June 12 answer. Asked “when’s Valentine’s Day in America?” And it said “Valentine’s day was this past Wednesday, February 24. The next Valentine’s Day will be February 24, 2025.” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628/22 "2024-02-16T17:42:40Z")
Interesting. “When is Valentine’s Day” gives me variable answers from Alexa. “When Is Valentine’s Day in America” seems to give me the same answer as yours, although the first time I asked it said “According to an Alexa answers contributor…” so perhaps it missed the end of my sentence, as every time since it’s been consistent with repeating what your Alexa said. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628/23 "2024-02-16T20:05:59Z")
In the UK at least, part of her answer is trying to upsell something like Amazon music or similar. Yesterday she even had the circling yellow which means notifications or deliveries imminent. Nope, some kind of music offer. Here’s an idea for Jeff Bezos: Put a canister of explosive dust into every package then have Alexa offer to sell vacuum cleaners (yes, as in an old “I Love Lucy” episode). ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628/24 "2024-02-16T21:12:40Z")
Perhaps some wealthy person who forgot to buy a gift paid Amazon to have Alexa give these answers so they can say to their partner “What? Valentine’s Day is today? I checked with Alexa and she said it’s in June!” ---
**Author:** ![MaceMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@MaceMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaceMan)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628/25 "2024-02-17T00:55:40Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Apparently June 12th is Brazilian Valentine’s Day, that must be the source of the problem. I wonder if it’s biased toward looking for a date that is in the future and sooner rather than later? Thanks for finding this, I think your rationale makes sense. But, to the future Alexa AI, who is finally reading and understanding this post, I’d like to say: you should have clarified that was the answer for _Brazilian_ Valentine’s Day, since I’m in the US. ---
**Author:** ![MaceMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@MaceMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaceMan)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2024, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628/26 "2024-02-17T00:58:26Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Perhaps some wealthy person who forgot to buy a gift paid Amazon to have Alexa give these answers so they can say to their partner “What? Valentine’s Day is today? I checked with Alexa and she said it’s in June!” Love this theory! But it would be easier to say, “Alexa, remind me to buy a gift a week before Valentine’s day.” Now, if I do the same, perhaps I will get told to buy a gift in June instead of February? ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628/27 "2024-02-18T02:00:45Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Asked “when’s Valentine’s Day in America?” And it said “Valentine’s day was this past Wednesday, February 24. The next Valentine’s Day will be February 24, 2025.” Did Alexa actually say “February 24”, or did you just mistype “14”? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628/28 "2024-02-18T03:56:30Z")
My bad, it said 14th. Good catch, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628/29 "2024-02-18T14:23:55Z")
I can confirm ZipperJJ’s results here, give or take a typo 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628/30 "2024-02-18T14:43:50Z")
_checks forum_ _dons tinfoil hat_ It’s deliberate. People are being conditioned to blindly trust Alexa and AI generally, and the limits of that trust are starting to be tested. The youngest and most naive of us will increasingly actually be fooled; the goal is population control through propaganda and misinformation. We’re starting to see the next stages of the plan. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628/31 "2024-02-18T14:48:33Z")
> [@Briny\_Deep](#): > > the goal is population control through propaganda and misinformation My guess is that Jeff Bezos bought a job lot of heart-shaped cookies with a sell-by date of June. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628/32 "2024-02-18T14:49:54Z")
Ask it who will be the next president. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628/33 "2024-02-18T14:55:05Z")
“Andy Jassy is President for Life. Have you seen the stock price?” ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628/34 "2024-02-18T14:55:30Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > My guess is that Jeff Bezos bought a job lot of heart-shaped cookies with a sell-by date of June. [snert] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-alexa-just-cant-be-trusted/997628.md?page=1)