3.04 · Smart Homes: Helpful or Creepy?

Smart Homes: Helpful or Creepy?
Posted by Leo · Tech for Real, a student blog

Last month, my sister turned her apartment into a smart home. Now she turns off the lights with her voice. Would I do the same? In my opinion, yes, but only with a few rules.

First of all, smart devices simplify daily life. A thermostat that learns your routine can minimize energy use, and a robot vacuum cleans while you study.

However, what worries me is privacy. A smart speaker listens for its wake word all day, and a camera records everything in the room. Nobody knows exactly who’ll see those recordings in ten years.

Smart homes are bound to get cheaper, and more families are likely to buy them. Stricter privacy laws might follow, but I doubt that they’ll arrive soon.

All in all, I’d live in one, but I’d keep the camera off and delete my recordings every month. What about you: helpful or creepy? Tell me in the comments.