Devices all around us are getting smarter, and part of that perceived intelligence is the fact that so many of them are practically autonomous. If you have a Google Pixel, for example, you'll be familiar with features like Now Playing that just run in the background without any input. It's essentially invisible tech.
Where ambient computing gets particularly interesting is in smart devices that are around your home. Your smart speakers use ambient computing to listen for your voice before you ask it a question. If your thermostat adjusts the temperature when your home gets too hot or too cold based on learned patterns, it's using ambient computing, too.
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What is ambient computing, and how is it different from the Internet of Things (IoT)?
There's quite a world of difference
Internet of Things (IoT) and ambient computing are very similar concepts that are often implemented in tandem. Ambient computing typically builds on top of the capabilities imparted by the introduction of multiple smartly-connected devices in your home. For example, a smart thermostat may be an IoT device, but if it adjusts the temperature of your home autonomously, then it makes use of ambient computing. IoT devices are the devices that make up that smart network, whereas ambient computing is what happens thanks to those devices.
However, that doesn't mean ambient computing needs to make use of IoT devices; it's just a fairly common implementation. As already mentioned, features like Now Playing on the Google Pixel series are ambient computing features that don't require any IoT devices, it's just that the concepts frequently overlap.
What devices use ambient computing?
Quite a lot
There are plenty of devices that make use of ambient computing, including:
- Speakers like an Echo or Google Home
- Smart plugs
- Central hubs like Google Nest Hub or Echo Show
- Smart bulbs
To be considered ambient computing, there are only a handful of requirements. There needs to be a device that can provide data of some kind, and this can be a temperature, a light reading, or even something as simple as a piece of data that says whether something is switched on or off. There then needs to be some way to process that data and make decisions based on it.
Basically, if you have devices that process data autonomously, then they are very likely ambient computing devices.
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Privacy concerns and other downsides
People don't trust mega corporations
There are a number of privacy concerns when it comes to ambient computing, with the biggest being that with these interconnected devices in our homes, it's possible that they can succumb to attacks. IoT devices have been the target of hackers for a long, long time, as the embedded systems they use are typically poorly protected. In the past, they've mostly been used to power botnets, but that doesn't mean they can't (or haven't been) used for nefarious purposes.
Not only that but having these devices in your home also means that companies, not just hackers, have access to data in your home. Whether that matters or not is up to you, but I would understand why people don't like the idea of, as an example, having an Amazon-owned device in their homes technically capable of listening at any time that it's triggered.
An even bigger downside that is immediately apparent is that should your network go down for any reason, you will no longer be able to control many aspects of your home that may be reliant on an internet connection. You're also reliant on the upkeep of any cloud-based services that you may make use of. What if a company goes bankrupt or decides to stop supporting an older device? An integral part of your home smart network may become defunct and require a replacement.
The future of ambient computing
AI is likely the future
Ambient computing will only grow as more and more of our lives become automated. The natural progression of technology involves making things more convenient for the end user, and in this case, there is no greater convenience than literally doing things for users automatically without any intervention required. It's likely that we'll see ambient computing concepts grow and expand into new categories and potentially even be used in public contexts like travel or in municipalities. While somewhat dystopian, basic features that can check for air quality and increase air circulation if it drops below a certain level may be one application.
Until that happens, though, there's a lot that you can play around with in the ambient computing sphere to get a sense of what's around the corner. The best smart speakers incorporate ambient computing principles to do a lot of what they do, and the Google Pixel series of smartphones are arguably the phones with the most ambient compute capabilities built in. We're starting to see a bigger-than-ever focus on AI too, and devices like the Humane AI and Rabbit R1 are arguably ambient computing devices too.