The effects of the generative AI boom are impossible to ignore. Even if you aren’t actively seeking out AI bots, they are being seamlessly integrated into almost every product and service available today. But what is the real utility of this technology for you right now? Google’s latest innovation, Gemini for Home, aims to make generative AI useful by embedding it into the smart home devices that people already own.
For anyone subscribed to extended video history in the Google Home app, the introduction of Gemini will bring a wealth of AI-driven features. This includes daily summaries, AI-labeled notifications, and more. Given the capabilities of AI models like Gemini, the ability to recognize events in video clips and respond to related queries seems well within reach. However, Gemini for Home has shown a shaky understanding of reality, resulting in some unsettling interactions, including false alarms related to home invasions involving both humans and animals.
Is your smart home in need of a premium AI subscription? Simply using the Google Home app won’t give you access to Gemini’s advanced functionalities. This premium service, which costs $20 per month, offers extended camera history and Gemini features. In contrast, the lower-tier plan at $10 provides limited video history without AI-enhanced summaries or notifications. Both plans enable Gemini Live on smart speakers, allowing for real-time interactions.
Google assures users that not all video footage is sent to Gemini; only relevant event clips are processed to generate summaries. These daily summaries culminate in a “Daily Brief,” which typically includes mundane details like people entering and leaving rooms or packages being delivered. Notably, the Gemini model is not multimodal; it only analyzes the visual components of videos and does not incorporate audio, ensuring that your private conversations remain confidential.
By subscribing to Google’s AI-enhanced service, users gain access to Ask Home, a conversational chatbot that can answer questions regarding your home’s activities based on the status of smart devices and recorded video footage. You can inquire about specific events, retrieve video clips, or even create automations. While there are some inconsistencies with Gemini's video comprehension, Ask Home excels at automation creation, adapting to your natural language requests.
Despite its potential, Gemini has faced challenges in accurately identifying video content. For instance, a Daily Brief incorrectly reported a deer entering the family room when it was actually one of my dogs. This misidentification isn’t a rare occurrence; it highlights that generative AI models, like Gemini, lack true understanding and common sense. If the AI determines that a token represents a deer, it will present it as such, regardless of context.
While some of Gemini’s quirks, such as mistaking a dog for a deer, are amusing, others are more concerning. Users may receive distressing alerts indicating that a person has been detected in their home when, in reality, it’s just a shadow or an empty room. This scenario can understandably cause anxiety for homeowners who rely on their security systems. Although Google offers options to disable certain alerts, the inability to turn off AI descriptions while retaining basic notifications can lead to unnecessary panic.
Google is committed to enhancing Gemini for Home, focusing on improving the accuracy of its identification capabilities to reduce erroneous notifications. User feedback is considered crucial in this process, as it helps the AI learn and evolve. Although some progress can be made through custom instructions, the system requires significant user involvement to perform effectively.
As it stands, the current iteration of Gemini for Home raises questions about its value. The $20 Advanced subscription may be hard to justify given the inconsistencies and inaccuracies in notifications. Users who seek only basic event history might be better off opting for the $10 plan, which provides a more straightforward experience without the complications associated with generative AI.
Gemini for Home is currently available to early access users through the Home app, but it’s only a matter of time before it becomes widely available. For those considering this technology, it may be wise to wait for further improvements before fully committing to a subscription.
