Link: AI could bring us a smarter home — if we can trust it

The holy grail of the smart home is ambient computing—technology woven seamlessly into daily life, anticipating your needs instinctively. Lights activate when you enter a room and coffee begins brewing as you wake, all in a home that adjusts to its inhabitants' lifestyles.

However, achieving this seamless integration remains a challenge with current smart home technologies often being complex and invasive. Advances in artificial intelligence, particularly through AI agents utilizing language and visual models, hold promise for a shift towards more intuitive interaction.

I recently observed improvements in my own smart home with AI-powered features like notifications from my Ring camera that provide detailed descriptions of events. Similarly, my Nest doorbell is now capable of intelligent actions like recognizing my neighbor and allowing her to store packages inside my house.

Yet, these AI advancements also bring privacy concerns, as most rely on cloud processing. At IFA this week, I'm interested in technologies that emphasize local data processing to enhance privacy.

Looking forward, companies are attempting to overcome infrastructure hurdles to create a more responsive home environment. Innovations like Philips Hue's rumored MotionAware technology exemplify efforts to retrofit existing devices with new capabilities.

In sum, while the smart home industry is inching towards a more proactive and ambient experience, there's significant progress yet to be made. This week's IFA show will hopefully reveal new AI applications that make living smarter not just a concept but a reality. #

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