Black Mirror’s Charlie Brooker accidentally called ‘Alexa’ by son

Is life imitating art for Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker? Wife Konnie Huq reveals their son accidentally called him ‘Alexa’ after tech took over the family home

  •  Former Blue Peter presenter revealed gadget has now been switched off
  •  Amazon Alexa, an interactive assistant, is used by estimated 7million in the UK 
  •  Huq and Brooker expressed discomfort at children obsessively using gadget 
  •  Privacy concerns recently raised after Amazon admitted staff ‘listen in’ to Alexa 
  •  Brooker is award-winning creator of Netflix’s dystopian drama Black Mirror

From brain implants that allow parents to control their child to memory-erasing headbands, apps that dull the senses and a virtual assistant with a mind of its own, Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker has thought through all manner of dystopian scenarios where high-tech has taken over human life.

But he still wasn’t prepared for the moment his own son accidentally called him ‘Alexa’.  

The award-winning screenwriter, producer and creator of the popular Netflix series, which is now in its fifth series, was taken aback by the youngster’s faux pas, alongside his wife, former Blue Peter presenter, Konnie Huq.

Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker, 48, was accidentally called ‘Alexa’ by his son, revealed his wife, former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq, 44

In an interview with The Sunday Times Magazine, Huq, 44, said: ‘We did have Alexa, but we’ve switched her off. 

‘One day our son said, “Alexa – I mean, Daddy”, and it was, “Oh, my goodness!”‘

The couple, who live in Ealing, west London, promptly turned off the gadget, which has an estimated 7million users in the UK, citing their discomfort at how much of an influence the device had on their sons Covey, five and Huxley, seven.

They are not alone in expressing their disquiet – even from those who promote such technology.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates famously put a cap on his daughter’s screen time in 2007, after noting she was spending too much time playing video games. 

Art imitating life? The new series of Black Mirror features an Alexa-like assistant based on purple-haired pop singer Ashley (Miley Cyrus) that takes a sinister turn

Steve Jobs, who was CEO of Apple until his death in 2012, revealed that he banned his children from using the newly-released iPad.

Away from the issue of children having too much screen time, privacy concerns have been raised in recent months, with Amazon admitting their employees listen in to recordings from Alexa.  

The company revealed in April that thousands of recordings are being analysed by staff and transcribed to improve the voice-assistants’ understanding of human speech. 

Among more sinister content the workers have heard, have been a child screaming for help and two instances were they believed they heard a sexual assault taking place. 

The revelation has raised thorny ethical questions over the future of AI smart assistants in the home, how tech companies like Amazon are gathering personal information and just what they are – and should – be doing with it.

Amazon recently revealed that thousands of recordings from Alexa are analysed by staff

Elsewhere, a study published earlier this year suggested that toddlers who spend hours staring at screens every day are more badly behaved by the time they are five. 

Pre-school children who use smartphones, tablets and other gadgets for more than two hours a day are also seven times more likely to develop ADHD.

The World Health Organization has also issued guidelines on the issue and suggests that children should not spend any time looking at phones, tablets or TVs until they are at least two years old.

However, such findings have not been readily accepted in the UK and the dangers of screen-time are still hotly debated. 

For Brooker and  Huq, while Alexa’s plug may have been disconnected, technology still remains a part of the family’s life.

Their sons – aged five and seven – are allowed time on their tablets and games consoles, revealed Huq.

She added: ‘It’s the future…If Charlie wasn’t their dad I’m sure they’d be on way less screen time.’

Brooker and Huq have not limited sceen time for their sons, Covey, five and Huxley, seven 

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