Siri, we need to talk.

Last week Amazon announced plans to sell the Echo, its voice-controlled "intelligent" speaker, in the UK.

The Echo is a two-way wireless speaker and microphone with a virtual artificial intelligence assistant called "Alexa" that responds to voice commands such as “Read me the news” or “Turn off the lights”.

Like Siri, Alexa is ready to respond to every wish and command directed at her.

She has a female name, a female voice, and is housed inside a sleek, curvy container topped with round, glowing lips. It is perhaps no surprise that a virtual personal assistant, a typically feminine profession, should take such a form.