PSA: My smart home AI tried to order 50 pounds of cat food at 3 AM

I was in Chicago for a conference when my apartment's voice assistant misheard a snore and confirmed a bulk purchase. Has anyone else's automation gone completely rogue like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

martin.vera15h ago

Actually, voice assistants can't make purchases without a confirmation PIN. You might have a setting turned off.

the_wesley9h ago

Oh man, @martin.vera is totally right about the PIN. I had that happen once where my kid almost ordered a crazy amount of toys just by talking to the speaker. I freaked out and dug into the settings. Turns out my "voice purchasing" was somehow on, but the PIN confirm was off. I turned that PIN back on right away. Now it asks for that code every single time, which is a huge relief. Saved my wallet for sure.