AI technology to smarten up your home

Whether you like it or not, artificial intelligence (AI) has permeated our lives. You probably use it every day, even though you may not be aware of it.

You use AI each time you listen to music on a streaming service like Spotify or Pandora, when you use facial recognition on your phone, whenever you use an app for travel directions, and when you tell Alexa or Siri to do something for you.

When you win a lottery jackpot, it's only natural that you want to buy nice things for your home and family. You may even decide to buy a new family home. Buying tech items that use artificial intelligence to make your life easier seems like a great idea, but now you have the opportunity to do so. As well as improving the quality of your new lifestyle, AI can also help you protect your home, your belongings, and your family.  Let's take a look at how you can use some of your lottery winnings to make the most of some of today's AI technology to smarten up your home.

Protecting your home and family

One of the most important ways that AI technology can be used in your residence is for home security. You can install AI devices to monitor any activity in and around your home using cameras, sensors, and facial recognition technology. Here are some examples of devices that use AI for home security.

• Intelligent surveillance: There are several ways you can use AI to protect your home with camera surveillance. This includes smart CCTV cameras that use movement sensors and facial recognition to see who and who should not be in your home and remote surveillance so you can check in on your home when you're not there. You can also integrate speakers and microphones so that you can communicate with family members who are in your home.
• Smart Locks: Keyless entry is not only convenient – you don't have to constantly worry about searching for your keys or losing them – but it also makes your home more secure. Smart locks operate using facial recognition. Some are also cloud-based, so they can keep a record of who has entered and left your home and at what time.

Keeping your loved ones safe

If you have elderly members of your family living in your home, they may be at risk of falling or other health emergencies. Thanks to AI technology, you can install a medical alert system that can protect your loved ones and call you or the emergency services if they have had an accident or are experiencing a health crisis. AI medical alert systems are very sophisticated, and they can even analyze data to see if a fall has occurred.

Illuminating your life

Installing a smart lighting system in your home can improve your home security because it allows you to turn on your lights remotely when you are not at home. But smart bulbs that connect to the internet can also help to improve your mood. You can use them to create personalized lighting effects to help you relax or sleep or to turn them on to help you wake in the morning. You can also pair your smart lights with smart blinds to improve your home's energy efficiency and make the most of natural light. You can control these systems using your voice when you are at home and remotely with your smartphone when you are away.

Controlling your home temperature

Smart thermostats are a great way to improve your home's energy consumption, reduce your carbon footprint, and save you money. They use advanced AI technology to learn your indoor temperature preferences and adjust your home heating and cooling systems to make you comfortable. Smart thermostats can detect several environmental factors throughout your home, such as humidity, temperature, and even occupancy. You can control them through voice commands via AI assistants such as Alexa or with your smartphone.

Smartening up your appliances

Smart appliances are designed to connect to the internet so that they can be controlled remotely and, in some cases,  to extend the functions of the appliance. Smart appliances around your home can make daily cleaning and cooking chores much easier, giving you more free time. Here are some examples of smart appliances:

• Smart refrigerators: As well as being controlled remotely, these refrigerators have several benefits. They have automatic energy-saving modes, you can see what's in your fridge from anywhere, and they can create shipping lists and help you find recipes with the ingredients that you have on hand.
• Smart ovens: Smart ovens use AI and Wi-Fi technology to help you control them remotely. For example, you can reheat your oven on your way home from work or reheat a meal that you put in there earlier. Smart ovens also have interchangeable parts to make cooking easier, such as steamers and baking stones. Like most smart appliances, they also have energy-saving settings.
• Smart washers and dryers: Like all smart appliances, smart washers and dryers can be controlled remotely. But that's not all; they can also detect load size and fabric texture so they can save energy and be kind to your clothes.
• Smart vacuums: Robot vacuum cleaners are currently one of the most popular smart home appliances on the market. After all, who wants to spend time cleaning floors when you can have a machine do it for you? They can be controlled remotely, and use AI technology to detect different types of floor surfaces and stop them from bumping into things.
• Smart plugs: These are a favorite for people who want to be able to control devices remotely without having to spend money on a completely new system. Smart outlets enable you to plug in devices such as lamps and TVs. You can turn them on and off remotely or with voice commands when you are at home.
• Smart instant pot: Take your regular instant pot to a higher level. You can control smart pots from your phone. What's more, they are programmed with more than 1,000 recipes, so cooking is quick and simple.
• Smart blender: If you're a smoothie fan, this AI device is for you. Smart blenders can give you ideas for smoothie recipes and help you keep track of the calories you're consuming.

Some of the more unusual smart home devices

Let's take a look at some smart devices that you may not yet have considered for your home.

• Smart toilet: Some of the top-of-the-range smart toilets have adjustable colored lighting so you can find them in the dark without turning on your bathroom light. But that's not all; they also include a heated seat, a built-in speaker system, and an emergency flush mode for power outages.
• Smart toaster: It can be hard to make perfectly toasted bread or bagels when you're rushing to get ready in the morning, but the smart toaster can get you organized. You can use its touch screen to cook up a range of different items, from crumpets to cheese quesadillas.
• Cat litter robot: Emptying the litter box is the down sound of having an indoor cat. The litter robot can make a cat lover's life a little easier. It is a self-cleaning litter box that sifts the used litter so you don't have to scoop it out. It also has an odor control system to prevent the smell from escaping into your living area. It can also detect when your cat is using it.
• Smart pillow: Smart pillows can act as a heating or cooling pad, depending on your mood. Some of the hi-tech ones can also track your sleeping habits and play soothing music to help you sleep.
• Smart floss dispenser: We all know that flossing is an important part of dental hygiene. You can mount a smart floss dispenser to your bathroom mirror. It's there to provide you with a standard 18 inches of floss at the tap of a button. You'll never forget to floss again.
• Smart shower head: Who doesn't love singing in the shower? The smart shower head has a built-in speaker so you can have your music with you while you get cleaned up. Thanks to Bluetooth technology, you can stream your favorite songs to your showerhead from your phone. You can remove the speaker and recharge it without having to remove the whole showerhead.

Lottery winner uses AI to make swimming fun

Lottery player Edwin Castro won a Powerball jackpot prize of $2.04 billion in November 2022. After tax withholdings, he took home a whopping prize of  $997.6 million. One of his first purchases was a luxury seven-bedroom, eleven-bathroom luxury mansion in LA's Bel Air neighborhood. The house featured many opulent features, including a champagne tasting room and an indoor/outdoor Tequila bar. One of the more extravagant features that couldn't have happened without AI technology was a swimming pool-sized Koi pond. AI allowed swimmers to tune into their favorite songs while multiple water jets synchronized with the music.

There's no escaping AI technology, it's here to stay. While some of these devices may seem unnecessary, there's no denying that others can make our daily lives a lot safer and often easier. Although AI may not be able to help you win the lottery, it can help you protect what you have won and the things you spend it on.