ChatGPT Automations Enhance Smart Home Devices as Google Teases New Hub

The smart home’s next phase isn’t about adding more gadgets—it’s about making the ones you already own easier to orchestrate, and faster to evolve. During June 8–15, 2026, three signals converged into a clear theme: the interface to the smart home is shifting from apps and rule builders to conversation, while the hardware pipeline is being reshaped by both major platform players and an increasingly influential Chinese device ecosystem.

First, Homey pushed a meaningful software update that puts ChatGPT directly into the workflow of building automations. Instead of manually wiring triggers and actions, users can describe what they want in natural language and have the system construct the automation for them across Homey’s product lineup and deployment options. [1] Second, Google hinted that a long-awaited “certain speaker” will go on sale “next week,” which would mark its first new smart hub in more than six years—an unusually long gap in a category defined by rapid iteration. [2] Third, on-the-ground reporting from Shenzhen underscored how Chinese smart home brands are not just competing on price, but pushing design and product variety—from robot mowers to window-cleaning robots and wellness-focused devices—often surfacing new ideas before they reach Western shelves. [3]

Taken together, this week matters because it shows the smart home’s center of gravity moving in two directions at once: toward AI-driven simplicity in software, and toward broader, faster hardware experimentation globally. The result is a market where “smart” increasingly means “understands intent,” and where the next breakout device might come from anywhere.

Homey’s ChatGPT integration turns automation into a conversation

Homey’s latest update integrates ChatGPT into its smart home ecosystem, enabling users to control devices and create automations using natural language. [1] The practical shift is straightforward: where users previously had to manually configure automations, ChatGPT can now interpret instructions and build workflows on their behalf. [1] That’s not just a convenience feature—it’s a redefinition of how non-technical households can approach home logic.

Importantly, this update isn’t limited to a single tier. It applies across Homey Cloud, Homey Pro, Homey Pro Mini, and self-hosted Homey Server setups. [1] That breadth matters because it suggests Homey sees AI assistance as a core capability rather than a premium add-on. It also means the “talk to your home” experience can be consistent whether you’re cloud-first or running a more advanced local deployment.

There’s another detail worth noting: Homey continues to support alternative AI platforms like Claude via the MCP Server. [1] In a market where ecosystems often try to lock users into one assistant, this is a signal that Homey is positioning itself as an orchestration layer—one that can translate intent into automations while remaining flexible about which AI brain is doing the interpretation.

The immediate takeaway is that smart home complexity is being abstracted away. If natural language becomes the primary authoring tool for routines, the competitive edge shifts from who has the most devices to who can most reliably translate messy human intent into safe, predictable home behavior. Homey’s move is a concrete step in that direction, and it raises the bar for every platform that still expects users to think like a programmer to get basic household outcomes.

Google teases a new smart hub—its first in over six years

Google signaled that a new device—described as a “certain speaker”—will finally go on sale next week, which TechRadar notes would be Google’s first new smart hub in over six years. [2] The hint came via an email from Google’s Chief Product Officer, Anish Kattukaran, to Gemini for Home testers: “for those of you who have been patiently waiting for a certain speaker... keep a very close eye on your inbox next week.” [2]

The scale of the early access effort is notable. The Gemini for Home early access program reportedly drew 3.5 million sign-ups, and Google says that feedback drove more than 2,500 bug fixes and software improvements. [2] Among the changes mentioned is the return of the Continued Conversation feature. [2] That combination—large-scale testing plus a revived conversational capability—suggests Google is treating the next hub as a software-forward relaunch, not merely a hardware refresh.

There are also market breadcrumbs. A Best Buy Canada listing suggested a June 25 release date, and TechRadar observed that Nest Mini and Nest Audio speakers have disappeared from stores, fueling speculation around a successor. [2] While the specifics of the device aren’t confirmed in the research, the timing and retail signals point to a transition moment in Google’s home lineup.

Why does this matter this week? Because it frames the competitive landscape for smart home control surfaces. If Google is returning to the category after a long gap, it’s likely doing so with a renewed emphasis on assistant-driven experiences—especially given the Gemini for Home testing context. [2] In a world where Homey is making automation authoring conversational, Google’s tease reads like a platform player preparing its own next chapter in how people speak to—and through—their homes.

Shenzhen’s smart home scene shows where hardware momentum is building

Reporting from the Global Connect Show in Shenzhen highlighted how Chinese smart home brands are shaping connected living, with companies like Dreame, Xiaomi, SwitchBot, Haier, and Aqara leading in product design and innovation. [3] The key point isn’t simply that these brands exist—it’s the breadth of categories and the pace of iteration on display.

Among the notable products mentioned are Dreame’s upcoming Window Cleaning Robot C2 and Lymow’s One Plus robot mower. [3] These are emblematic of a smart home expanding beyond speakers and thermostats into “appliance robotics” that tackle chores traditionally considered too niche or too difficult to automate. The report also points to lesser-known companies like Rootique and Cozyla contributing high-tech wellness devices and aesthetically integrated smart displays. [3] That mix—robots, wellness, and integrated displays—suggests a more holistic view of the home as a system of experiences, not just a set of endpoints.

Shenzhen is described as a hub for cutting-edge innovation, often introducing technologies to the market before they reach Western consumers. [3] For buyers and platform builders outside China, that’s both an opportunity and a challenge: opportunity because the device frontier is rich and diverse; challenge because integration, standards alignment, and long-term support become harder as the device universe grows.

This matters to the smart home conversation happening elsewhere this week because it underscores a reality: even as AI makes control simpler, the underlying device landscape is getting more complex and more global. The winners will be the ecosystems that can absorb that diversity—pairing rapid hardware innovation with software layers that make it feel coherent in everyday life.

Analysis & Implications: The smart home is becoming “intent-first,” while devices multiply

This week’s developments point to a smart home that’s reorganizing around intent. Homey’s ChatGPT integration is the clearest example: it shifts automation creation from explicit rule-building to describing outcomes in natural language. [1] That’s a fundamental UX change. When users can say what they want—rather than how to do it—the platform’s job becomes interpretation, translation, and execution. The value moves up the stack.

Google’s “certain speaker” tease fits into the same arc, even with limited confirmed details. The context—Gemini for Home testers, millions of sign-ups, thousands of fixes, and the return of Continued Conversation—signals that Google is investing in conversational interaction quality as a product feature, not a novelty. [2] If a new hub is imminent, it’s arriving into a market where conversational control is no longer just about turning lights on and off; it’s increasingly about managing multi-device behaviors and maintaining context across interactions.

Meanwhile, the Shenzhen report shows the other side of the equation: the device world is expanding in scope and ambition. [3] Window-cleaning robots, robot mowers, wellness devices, and integrated displays broaden what “smart home” even means. [3] As categories proliferate, the integration burden rises—more device types, more edge cases, more user expectations.

Put these together and a pattern emerges: AI is being used to mask complexity, not eliminate it. The home is getting more capable, but also more heterogeneous. The platforms that thrive will be those that can (a) ingest a wide variety of devices and (b) provide an intent-first layer that makes them feel unified. Homey’s continued support for alternative AI platforms like Claude via MCP Server hints at a future where the assistant layer may be modular. [1] Google’s large-scale testing hints at a future where assistant quality is measured in reliability and continuity, not just feature checklists. [2]

For consumers, the implication is that the next upgrade may not be a new gadget at all—it may be a new way to describe what you want your existing gadgets to do. For the industry, the implication is sharper: hardware innovation is accelerating globally, and the differentiator will increasingly be the software that makes it all usable.

Conclusion

June 8–15, 2026 offered a compact preview of where smart homes are headed. Homey’s move to let ChatGPT build automations from natural language is a direct attempt to make smart homes feel less like configuration projects and more like living systems that respond to intent. [1] Google’s hint at a long-awaited new hub—after more than six years—suggests the major platforms are preparing new control surfaces shaped by assistant performance and conversational continuity. [2] And the Shenzhen snapshot is a reminder that the device frontier is widening fast, with Chinese brands pushing into new categories and experiences that may arrive elsewhere later. [3]

The takeaway isn’t that one company “won” the week. It’s that the smart home is splitting into two races: a race to build more kinds of devices, and a race to make those devices disappear behind a simpler interface. The next year of smart home progress will likely be judged less by how many products launch, and more by how effortlessly households can express what they want—and trust the system to do it correctly.

References

[1] Homey's latest update lets ChatGPT build your smart home for you — T3, June 13, 2026, https://www.t3.com/home-living/smart-home/homeys-latest-update-lets-chatgpt-build-your-smart-home-for-you?utm_source=openai
[2] Google says a 'certain speaker' will finally go on sale next week, marking its first new smart hub in over six years — TechRadar, June 12, 2026, https://www.techradar.com/home/smart-speakers/google-says-a-certain-speaker-will-finally-go-on-sale-next-week-marking-its-first-new-smart-hub-in-over-six-years-and-it-could-just-be-the-reason-i-abandon-my-trusted-amazon-echo?utm_source=openai
[3] Chinese smart home brands are shaping the future of connected living – and I saw it firsthand — T3, June 10, 2026, https://www.t3.com/home-living/smart-home/chinese-smart-home-brands-are-shaping-the-future-of-connected-living-and-i-saw-it-firsthand?utm_source=openai