The desire to create a more perfect abode may not be new, but smart home automation and the Internet of Things is putting a new spin on the concept.
Some adopters of smart home technology say that, rather than laziness, using these tools is a time-saver, and maximizes quality time. Sharbani Roy, a senior manager on Amazon’s smart home team, told journalist Libby Copeland, “It’s about scaling yourself.” Brian Jones, director of Georgia Tech’s Aware Home Research Initiative, tells Copeland for Curbed that the smart home market has rapidly matured only within the last 10 years.
And then sometimes I get angry at Google Calendar for not better understanding my needs. Technology is funny. Just as much as we train it, it trains us, especially when we’re still getting used to each other. We forget that our homes already have a kind of intelligence, honed over centuries by the human beings who’ve lived in them. We’ve crafted them to suit our needs, so that we can use them without too much thought.