From Smart to Predictive: The Future of the Connected Home
Smart home technology has come a long way. At one time turning lights on from your phone was revolutionary. Today, a home can understand what is happening and respond before you have to ask.
Artificial intelligence is helping drive this change. Instead of relying on preset commands, smart home technology is becoming increasingly capable of recognizing patterns, understanding preferences, and anticipating any wants or needs.
“There are a lot of trends that are changing right now in these smart homes. One of the biggest is AI,” Josh White, Senior Director of Home Security and Automation at Hotwire Communications, explains.
From Reactive to Predictive
Traditionally, smart home automation has been reactive, meaning something happens and then the home responds. For example, a motion sensor detects movement and a light turns on, or a person opens a door and an alarm is triggered.
AI is changing this.
“We’re getting to the point where the house can predict a lot of the things that you want to happen," White says. That could mean a door unlocking when the home recognizes a resident.
The goal isn’t to add more automation, but rather to make technology feel more natural. Instead of thinking about which device or app needs to be activated, the home can adapt to the people who live in it.
A More Personalized Connected Home
The increase in personalization could eventually extend to every member of a household. Dexter Johnson, Director of Product Development for Home Security and Smart Home at Hotwire, looks to a future where homes can recognize who has arrived and tailor the experience accordingly.
“When I drive up to the garage door, that experience is going to be different than when, say, my wife or son comes home,” Johnson explains. "They can recognize each individual person and customize the experience based on their individual wants."
Making Smart Technology Simpler
More technology doesn’t always mean a simpler life. Instead, it can sometimes create more complications. There may be one app for the thermostat, another for the security camera, and another for the lights, and, of course, none of them seem to work together.
This is one of the challenges the smart-home industry is working to solve. The goal is to create a more connected home where cameras, locks, thermostats, lights, security systems, and other devices are all able to connect and communicate with each other.
The future of the smart home industry will be less about how many devices some owns and more about how seamlessly those devices are able to work together.
“Smart home technologies will eventually become sort of invisible in the background,” White says. “It's just there and it operates on its own and makes your life simpler.”
Building a Smart Future
Security is always top of mind when it comes to the increasing use of technology in the home. As more devices become capable of analyzing activity within the home, privacy and security become even more important. Hotwire’s smart-home platform is designed to keep video storage and AI analytics within the home rather than sending that information to the cloud.
Overall, the evolution of smart homes isn’t just about adding AI to existing devices. It’s about creating a connected ecosystem that can understand the people who live there, respond to their needs, and operate quietly in the background.
As Johnson puts it, “We’re moving away from reactive-based process and solutions to more predictive AI analytical-based solutions.” And that may be what makes the next generation of smart homes feel more like home.