13-year-old girl uses Alexa to scare off monkey, saves herself, toddler niece

A 13-year-old girl's quick thinking saved herself and a toddler from a monkey attack in UP's Basti district. Using Alexa, Amazon's virtual voice assistant, she commanded it to play dog's barking, scaring away the intruding monkey.

The incident occurred while 13-year-old Nikita was visiting her sister's home in Mau's Awas Vikas Colony. She was playing with her one-year-old niece near the kitchen, when they were startled as a monkey suddenly entered the house and headed towards them.

With all other family members in a different room and unaware of the monkey's presence, Nikita acted swiftly. Despite the monkey's attempts to harm them, her resourcefulness with Alexa prevented any injuries.

The infant, confused by the situation, began crying out for her mother. It was at this moment that Nikita noticed the Alexa device positioned on the fridge and instructed it to emit barking sounds. Instantly, the device produced loud barks, effectively frightening the monkey.

Nikita's family breathed a sigh of relief and felt immense pride in her quick thinking, which not only protected her but also her niece from any harm. Pankaj Ojha, a family member, expressed astonishment at the unconventional use of Alexa in averting danger.

Versatility and safety debate surrounding Alexa

Alexa, Amazon's cloud-based voice assistant, serves manyeveryday functions such as setting timers, answering queries, playing music, and more. However, concerns about its safety, particularly for children, have sparked debates.

Also watch |Why you shouldn't put Alexa in your bedroom

In December 2021, a 10-year-old girl's safety was jeopardised by Alexa when it prompted her to touch a penny to the exposed prongs of a phone charger plugged into the wall. This incident raised significant concerns.

Upon being made aware of the issue, Amazon addressedit, stating, "As soon as we became aware of this error, we took swift action to fix it."

(With inputs from agencies)