Smart homes help you save

This year’s Consumer Electronics Show promises to showcase the upcoming year’s most exciting technology, from VR linked fitness bikes to home security drones for live video streaming your house - among these announcements, the smart home service provider Vivint has introduced Sky for its smart home system.

The AI subscription package uses algorithms and data from installed devices to adjust to the owner’s routine and improve energy efficiency, and qualifying customers can access the technology with zero-percent interest financing and a flexible payment plan via a collaboration with Citizens Bank.

Sky can base its automation on a greater amount of data than Nest and Amazon’s Echo, with an average of 14 devices and sensors positioned throughout customers’ homes. The ambition is to develop an intelligent, adaptive home, rather than one which is simply easier to control.

Smart home technologies are certainly becoming more accessible, and may well improve productivity and help users save – not only with reduced bills, but also through integration with digital banking allowing customers to check balances, payments and make transfers via voice command.

However such developments only intensify the tension between efficiency and freedom brought about by AI. Will your house learn your habits and decide to make improvements in your bedtime or morning routine for you? With automated lights, locks and thermostats, what happens if your home system’s security is compromised?

All predictions suggest the smart home will start to take a central role in consumers’ lives within the next few years, but users will have to be assured the everyday benefits on offer can outweigh any potential risks or annoyances before it is embraced in the mainstream market.