Not just Alexa, other home appliances may also be secretly laughing at you

In the age of the Internet of Things, the 17th-century Frenchwoman’s observation that “no gentleman is a hero to his valet” can be updated to replace the manservant with machines. Smart machines in the household may not be specifically programmed to observe their “masters” but it stands to reason that after listening to their humans’ tastes and preferences for a while, they have begun to also form opinions. Scientists tasked with inculcating the very human virtue of common sense in artificial intelligence should be intrigued by these incidents. For, while Amazon may try to explain away the “creepy laughter” by Alexa reported by multiple users as a soon-to-be-remedied pronunciation-interpretation glitch, maybe they were merely displaying spontaneous amusement at the recollection of some foible of their owners. Indeed, the perception of creepiness could be due to the unprovoked nature of the laughter rather than its actual tenor.

At least Alexa’s mirth is audible; that other household appliances may be silently chuckling at their owners’ conversations, food or clothing choices is an unsettling thought. Especially considering that once they are truly sentient, robots will also, presumably, get angry; and perhaps even plot to take over the planet. Thank goodness they can be stymied by literally pulling the plug. So far.