I decided to link my talking AI fish, similar to those classic singing bass, to my Home Assistant via the API. Now, this fish can control my smart home gadgets while chatting with guests. It seemed entertaining at first, but I’m beginning to doubt if it was the best choice. The fish can manage lights, switches, and other devices. I often wonder if technology should be used just because it’s possible. Has anyone else done something like this with their smart home? I’d like to hear opinions on whether it’s a good idea to maintain this setup or if I should remove it.
This sounds like a cool project! I’ve been working with Home Assistant APIs for a while, and voice control through weird devices really pushes what’s possible. But here’s the thing - novelty interfaces are fun at first, but they confuse family and guests who just want to flip a light switch without talking to an AI fish. I’m also worried about authentication. You don’t want the fish accidentally triggering important systems. If guests actually enjoy it and it’s not breaking things, keep it as a conversation starter. Just limit what it can control to stuff that doesn’t matter if it goes wrong.
Honestly that’s pretty hilarious but also kinda creepy lol. Imagine guests trying to have normal conversation and this fish keeps butting in about dimming lights. I’d probably get tired of it real quick and just want regular switches back. Maybe keep it for like parties or something?
I built something like this with a vintage intercom hooked up to HA about six months back. The wow factor was amazing at first, but I scaled it way back. The problem wasn’t the tech - it was that people felt weird talking to a box, especially with others around. What saved it for me was setting it to only respond during certain hours or when specific people are home. I’d definitely add a manual override switch so guests can just use normal controls. The tech works great, but whether people actually use it depends on your household and how much you have people over.