Home automation and AI at home: Safety, comfort and energy savings

What is home automation?

By definition, home automation, or domotics, is the automation of domestic appliances. Which means? Numerous benefits for you: energy and time savings, improved comfort, daily well-being, and enhanced safety. Here are a few examples of intelligent devices for your home:

• Camera surveillance system
• Smart doorbells and locks
• Smoke and CO₂ detectors
• Robot vacuum cleaners
• Thermostats connected to the heating system
• Automated devices (controlled remotely using a smartphone)

What is artificial intelligence (AI) at home?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is optimizing home automation to deliver an even more efficient generation of smart homes. Similar to the human brain, AI functions by integrating and analyzing various data to fine-tune and optimize its performance according to the habits of the people living in your home

What are the pros of AI-assisted home automation?

The benefits of a connected home are manifold:

• Save energy and improve your comfort: AI can detect your usual bedtime and wake-up times and gradually adapt lighting and heating to make these transitions smoother and more natural. An AI-based home automation system is also able to sense when your home is empty, and can therefore turn off lights, lock doors, and lower room temperatures.
• Improved home security: AI can use facial recognition from connected cameras to distinguish your face from that of a stranger. It can also analyze data to detect any suspicious movement and alert you in real time, thereby reducing the risk of burglary or home intrusion.
• Greater accessibility: With the help of virtual assistants, such as Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Apple Siri, you can control the various devices in your home with voice commands, for example, turn electrical appliances on and off, send or receive phone calls, start listening to music, or send messages.
• Disaster prevention: Some smoke detectors, linked directly to your smartphone, will warn you to prevent fires in the home. The same goes for water leak detectors, which will alert you at the first drop, allowing you time to react in time to avoid flooding. 

How much does it cost to set up a home automation system?

The cost of purchasing and installing a home automation network varies according to the size of the house, the type of system installed, as well as other factors:

• Quality
• Brand
• Wired or wireless

However, these costs are partially offset by the savings achieved, particularly on electricity and heating. Good to know: AI can even make you recommendations on how to save on your electricity bill thanks to home automation!

Does home automation entitle consumers to a discount on home insurance?

Some home insurance companies offer premium reductions to homeowners equipped with connected devices, such as water leak detectors. Inquire with your insurer. In addition, it’s possible to achieve savings even without taking advantage of these discounts, as the prevention of damage by means of an AI-assisted home automation system could save you from an increase in your insurance premium.

Are there any risks associated with AI-powered home automation?

Yes. Home automation systems collect significant amounts of personal data, such as lifestyle habits and movements, making them vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Therefore, this transformation must be backed up by constant vigilance over the ethical implications, ensuring that innovation respects privacy and guarantees the confidentiality of information. Tip: Choose devices that support advanced security protocols (such as data encryption), use strong passwords, and activate firewalls to reinforce security.

What are the future applications of AI in everyday life?

Thanks to technological advances, home automation and artificial intelligence are evolving at an incredible pace. A number of research projects on AI are proving highly promising. Among these, two trends stand out:

• Emotion detection. Based on facial and voice recognition, AI could perceive people’s emotional state and react accordingly, for example by dimming the lights and selecting soothing music. 
• Connected home care. The population is aging. Despite increasing health problems or a limited mobility, many want to live at home for as long as possible. That’s where AI comes in. For instance, it facilitates remote monitoring of a loved one’s state of health. It can alert the caregiver to a fall or abnormal vital signs. It can also remind the caregiver when to administer medication or to anticipate certain needs.

In short, AI-assisted home automation promises a future where technology meets your needs with ever-greater precision. Yet that’s just a glimpse of what this technology can do to make your life easier.

Our thanks to the Conseil de l’innovation du Québec for its contribution to this article.