AI technology in the home has come a long way, even since I wrote about home security AI a few short years ago. And while I don’t think all home tech carrying the AI label is worth your time, my stance is still the same: Today’s AI is proving surprisingly useful in the right devices, a more practical application than we see in most online chatbots and a new way to save time while improving safety.
What does that look like in practice? AI works best tucked away inside the smart devices we already use, quietly making things better. Here are my favorite current examples I’ve used, and how you can get this kind of artificial intelligence in your cutting-edge home.
1. Package recognition
One of the earliest forms of AI use in home security, and still one of my favorites, package recognition uses the ability of LLM-like AIs to break down and analyze visual content to — well, recognize when you get a package.
Devices like Google’s video doorbell do this the best, giving me alerts when a person shows up with a package, when the person leaves, and a solo package is detected on the porch, and when (in the worst case), a person appears and a package disappears at the same time. That’s useful for knowing when a delivery is available for pick-up and when something unexpected may have happened to it, like a porch pirate.
Some brands, like Google, Eufy and Tapo, offer package recognition for free on the right devices, although quality can vary. Other companies include only package detection with a subscription, like Arlo’s Secure plans starting at $8.
2. Listening for alarms and breaking glass
Advanced algorithms don’t just interpret written languages; they can also be trained to recognize sounds. That can include voice assistants using their natural language processing, but newer versions can also recognize other sounds — including sounds that hint at home problems.
The latest smart speakers and home security services, including Alexa Emergency Assist and Ring, can listen for sirens like fire alarms, breaking glass, dogs barking and other warning signs. Then they send an alert to your phone so you get real-time updates about what may be happening and what warrants a quick check-up. It’s a quick, affordable way to keep an ear on your home even when you’re on vacation.
Some security tech is pushing this sort of red flag detection even further. Arlo, for example, has added the ability for its cameras to recognize not only people and packages but also flames, sending you alerts if it looks like there’s a growing fire.
3. Presence-sensing thermostats to learn daily habits
Smart thermostats enable remote app controls and scheduling, but that’s just the start. This new generation of thermostats typically includes presence sensing, which can tell when there is activity in the house. Over time, presence sensing feeds data to algorithms that can build up a profile of consistent home activity, then recommend when to adjust thermostats to save money or just make those changes themselves.
Presence-sensing is fairly noninvasive, and these thermostats can make plenty of suggestions on how you can save on energy bills. But, if you think that’s a privacy issue, you can always turn off this smart feature until you want your thermostat to learn more.
4. Recognizing what your pets are doing
Over in the pet tech world, AI is being trained to recognize pet activity and send worried pet owners more detailed alerts about what’s going on. While brands like Furbo helped pioneer this use of AI, now other companies like Petlibro, PetPulse, Traini, Siipet and even Samsung’s Vision AI are offering AI services.
These smart alert and tracking functions can help tell if a pet has jumped on a forbidden sofa, is carrying a toy around or has gotten up from a nap. It’s not always accurate and can sometimes mistake a robot vacuum for a pet or get multiple pets confused, but it’s still fun and useful. AI is also being trained to recognize pet behaviors and actions to note patterns and raise warnings if it looks like a pet may be sick or acting weird.
5. Conversational requests and routines
Conversational AI is still making waves in smart home technology. Integration has been slow this year, but I expect it to speed up next as AI like Gemini and Alexa Plus become more integrated.
With new conversational abilities, voice assistants are changing from sharp, one-line commands to a more natural dialogue. You can use casual language to ask questions, share your mood or activity and continue the conversation with additional comments (like «Oh and turn the bedroom lights off too»). More independent smart home platforms like Josh AI and Home Assistant are also experimenting with this new flow.
In practice, these more conversational AIs are making it easier to throw out quick commands or requests and have assistants control connected devices more intelligently, interpreting your needs and helping you set up routines. While these features are still rolling out and improving, it feels great when it works, like (at last) talking to a voice assistant that can understand what you really mean.
6. Water use and leak detection
Much like listening for breaking glass or learning daily wake-up times, machine learning algorithms can also be trained to watch for water problems in your home and suggest ways to save on water.
These AI features are typically installed on your water line, key valves or water tank and connected with an app, offered by companies like Wint (currently more apartment-focused), Watergate and Hydrific. After learning your water patterns, they can suggest new habits to save water and alert you if it looks like a leak has developed before it starts causing damage.
7. Event summaries and answers
The latest AIs are also bringing new ways to view your home videos and scan video alerts, and it’s a real timesaver. While AI models like Gemini have the ability to answer questions about video, I find event summaries even more useful.
Before, you needed to find the video clip and watch it for at least a few seconds to see what was going on and if it was important. Now brands like Google Home, Ring and Arlo are utilizing AI to «read» the video for you and create a quick caption explaining what’s going on. It’s a little like pet camera AI, but used for everything.
Instead of slowly picking through video clips, you can now glance at event captions to see summaries, like «Two adults stopped to look at a white truck in the driveway» or «Person opens hot tub.» This greater level of detail (compared with just «motion detected») lets you immediately know what to worry about or glean the most important information from the captured event without wasting any time.
Right now, you have to pay subscriptions to activate these features, but as they become more common, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some clever captions pop up for free.
For a deeper dive into the kind of home devices that use this sort of AI recognition and control, visit my guides on the best DIY home security systems and the best outdoor security cameras.
