In an unusual incident in Seattle, several crosswalks were hacked to broadcast messages in the voice of Jeff Bezos, asking pedestrians to not support taxing the rich. The AI-generated voice conveyed a humorous yet pointed message concerning wealth taxes and the potential impact on the city's rich residents. This incident raised safety concerns from the Seattle Department of Transportation, which highlighted the importance of audio cues for visually impaired individuals. While the motive behind this hack remains unclear, it appears to be a satirical response to the local tech industry's stance on proposed tax measures.
Hi, it's Jeff Bezos. This crosswalk is sponsored by Amazon Prime with an important message. You know, please, please don't tax the rich.
The audio recordings at crosswalks play a critical role for people who are blind or have limited vision, helping them to cross streets safely.
We are concerned that someone would disregard the safety of people to make a political statement.
It remains unclear how the crosswalk signals were hacked or by whom.
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