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A 5-year-old boy has become an internet sensation after his father shared how the boy managed to spend $1,000 on toys using Alexa’s voice command. Tucker Bohman, also known as @ToyStoryDad_ on social media, often shares snippets of his family life online. In a recent video, he revealed that his son, Beckham, had made several purchases through Amazon’s virtual assistant.
In the video, Beckham can be heard saying, “Alexa, get me a monster truck that jumps 23 inches off the ground.” He also requested to add “45 walkie-talkies for children to my cart.” Among the items Beckham added to the cart were a hot tub, a toy plane, a 45-foot-diameter water track, 112 water slides, a rocket ride, and a remote-controlled race track.
The dialogue between Beckham and Alexa went on for over two hours, and it was only when the purchase invoice arrived that Tucker realized what had happened. While it is not clear if Tucker received a refund for the incident, he offered some advice to other parents to prevent a similar situation from occurring.
“Make sure you turn off voice purchases in your Alexa app so this doesn’t happen to you,” he urged.
The video quickly went viral, garnering over 2 million views, and many parents shared their own experiences in the comments section. One mother confessed, “My son ordered a $2,700 drone when he was 5 years old, along with $1,500 worth of toys, and I had to fight Amazon to cancel the order.” Another parent shared, “My son did that once. He bought three tablets and 27 feet of cat pillows. It’s been three years, and I still get ads for cat pillows.”
The incident raises questions about Alexa and how it works. Alexa is a virtual assistant developed by Amazon that operates through Alexa-enabled devices like Echo speakers and mobile devices. It utilizes natural language processing to understand voice commands, perform actions such as playing music or answering questions, and integrates with smart home devices. It learns and adapts based on user input and offers customization options.
Its versatility makes it useful for various applications, ranging from home automation to online information search and entertainment.
In conclusion, a 5-year-old boy’s accidental $1,000 toy spree through Alexa’s voice command has gained widespread attention. The incident serves as a lesson for parents to be cautious of voice purchases and take necessary precautions to avoid unexpected charges.