New research findings identify security and energy management functions as key selling features of smart home technology, but a sizable share of prospective adopters have concerns about data privacy and system cost. Responses from more than 800 homeowners and residential renters throughout Canada and United States, surveyed for the Association for Smarter Homes & Buildings’ (ASHB) annual research project, serve up a profile of consumers’ attitudes and where barriers to the uptake of smart technologies are occurring.
More than 70 per cent of survey respondents already have some form of smart technology within their homes, with Amazon Alexa or Google Home frequently identified at the core of those networks. About three-quarters of respondents say they are open to artificial intelligence applications if they deliver a perceived benefit and come with transparency about how personal data will be used. The remaining 23 per cent are characterized as “wary and skeptical” about sharing data.
The report’s executive summary points to an “intriguingly fragmented” consumer perspective on smart home technology, including generational differences in both pace of adoption and preferred applications. Current or prospective adopters rank security, energy efficiency and preventative maintenance as leading potential benefits, while a smaller segment of respondents reported interest in personalized advertising.
Drawing conclusions from survey responses, the report’s authors suggest consumers’ interest in preventative maintenance and energy consumption analysis could help make the case for data sharing, as users appreciate the role it plays in enabling devices to identify patterns that lead to performance improvements and/or preemptively identifying and rectifying issues. However, “transparency and segmented data utilization approaches” are deemed essential to build consumers’ confidence.
Meanwhile, the ascendance of Amazon Alexa and Google Home could present some complications. “It’s hinting at the birth of isolated ecosystems, which, if not bridged, could impede long-term value due to channel restrictions,” the report’s authors warn.
