Amazon fixes issue after Alexa tells child to take penny to electrical outlet

Amazon said that it's fixed an issue with its digital assistant Alexa after it supposedly told one child to touch a penny against a wall outlet. File Photo by James Atoa/UPI

Dec. 30 (UPI) — Amazon says it’s fixed a fault with its Alexa digital assistant after it instructed a child to take a penny to a live electrical outlet.

A woman tweeted on Sunday that Alexa gave her 10-year-old child the instructions after he’d asked the device to assign a challenge for him to perform.

Alexa’s answer surprised them.

“Here’s something I found on the web. According to ourcommunitynow.com: The challenge is simple: plug in a phone charger about halfway into a wall outlet, then touch a penny to the exposed prongs,” Alexa’s response read, according to CNN.

The woman said that her child did not perform the challenge.

Amazon said it fixed the issue after it became aware of the potentially dangerous advice from Alexa.

The “penny challenge” has been seen online since last year and it’s believed to be responsible for various accidents involving electric shocks, fires and other damage.

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