The cost of the smart home is going up

Google is widening access to Gemini for Home APIs, letting third parties add AI features like camera descriptions, Home Brief summaries, natural-language search, and routine creation to their apps and devices.

The strategy could help carriers, security firms, and hardware makers package smart home capabilities as paid subscriptions.

Companies like ADT, AT&T, Ring, Amazon, Nest, and Walmart could use Google’s AI tools to build new home-security and automation offers.

But the move also raises concerns about subscription fatigue and whether today’s AI features are accurate and useful enough to justify ongoing fees.