Artificial intelligence proves surprisingly useful in the home, especially when paired with a camera. The right AI can help recognize packages and people, stop porch pirates or cut down on annoying false alerts. There’s one problem: For many advanced AI options like Gemini for Home or Arlo, even automatically created captions can cost a lot of money. Fortunately, not all do.
I’ve gathered my favorite AI features for your home that don’t cost anything extra and don’t require any monthly subscriptions. You still benefit, but without the pricey compromises.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Use Google Nest’s free AI services
Not every smart home brand charges money for AI recognition features. In fact, Google Nest devices like the Nest Doorbell or Nest wireless cam are some of my favorites because they offer both free hours of video storage and free object recognition. Nest’s latest line of 2K wired cameras even increases the free hours of cloud storage you get from three hours to six, giving you more time to catch up on notifications.
When set up, a Nest camera or doorbell can ignore animals and vehicles while giving you alerts about people and packages at no cost. That’s especially handy if you want to watch out for porch pirates. If you feel like an eventual upgrade, a Google Home Premium subscription can add features like facial recognition and conversational video searches with Gemini.