Apple’s new CEO is hoping a US$299 family assistant can help it catch up in the AI race.
What happened: Apple unveiled its long-awaited smart home hub called the HomeView, a device that serves as a personal assistant for everything from scheduling appointments to adjusting the thermostat.
The device, which looks like a smaller iPad, relies mostly on voice commands to execute tasks. It also uses facial recognition to provide a personalized experience — from music preferences to calendar updates — for each member of a family.
Apple will also roll out a suite of accompanying gadgets for the HomeView in December, including security cameras, door locks, a video doorbell, and thermostats.
Why it matters: Apple is pitching the HomeView as the ideal host for its flagship AI offering: a revamped Siri assistant. The smart home hub’s success (or lack thereof) could signal whether people are truly as excited about AI personal assistants as Silicon Valley seems to believe they are.
OpenAI — which Apple is suing over alleged corporate espionage — is expected to unveil its own AI personal home assistant later this year, its first-ever hardware device.
Yes, but: Fears have grown about the security of smart home systems and appliances. This week, a major cyberattack struck hundreds of supermarkets across France, remotely altering fridge temperatures, starting fires, and spoiling millions of euros’ worth of food.
Meanwhile, Anthropic warned yesterday that rogue “AI worms” will soon be able to hijack smart home devices like ovens and TVs.
Our take: A lot of the HomeView’s features are also available on an iPhone or iPad. Apple could be overestimating how many people are willing to pay for a wall-mounted AI assistant to alleviate the laborious task of pulling their phone out of their pocket.—LA
