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Seattle crosswalk buttons hacked to sound like Jeff Bezos; SDOT exploring 'stronger security measures'
https://www.geekwire.com/2025/seattle-crosswalk-buttons-hacked-to-sound-like-jeff-bezos-who-tells-pedestrians-dont-tax-the-rich/Seattle crosswalk buttons hacked to sound like Jeff Bezos; SDOT exploring ‘stronger security measures’
BY KURT SCHLOSSER on April 16, 2025 at 11:44 am
Editor’s note: This story was updated with comment from the Seattle Department of Transportation.
Don’t cross Jeff Bezos on taxes, cross with Jeff Bezos.
An AI-enabled version of the Amazon founder’s voice has apparently been hacked into audio-enhanced crosswalk buttons in Seattle, following a recent trend that targeted other tech leaders in Silicon Valley.
In videos on Reddit on Wednesday, fake (but very real-sounding) Bezos can be heard delivering a message to pedestrians who engage crosswalk buttons in the University District and South Lake Union.
“Hi, I’m Jeff Bezos,” the voice says. “This crosswalk is sponsored by Amazon Prime, with an important message — please, don’t tax the rich, otherwise all the other billionaires will move to Florida, too. Wouldn’t it be terrible if all the rich people left Seattle or got Luigi’d? And then normal people could afford to live here again.”
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(Scroll down to listen)