I love the idea of learning technology. A piece of equipment that figures out, over time, how to run optimally make life a bunch easier, right up until it stops working and you have no idea how to live without it. Enter the Nest Learning Thermostat.
This is a great example of taking the automatic learning processes developed in artificial intelligence and leveraging it for use in a mundane environment. There are relatively few parameters for the AI to track and respond to, so its not nearly as complicated to create and install as it would have been 20 years ago. And finally, it allows you to set your thermostat and forget it. I have no idea how many times I have tinkered with a thermostat over the years after having found my optimal setting because of climate change. :(
Lots of things could do with a little "learning" capability. Phone systems could learn how to correct bad signals. Toilets could learn how much water to use in a flush. Refrigerators could learn when to turn on their compressors based on the fullness of the fridge. Chairs could learn the height preferences of their sitters based on weight.
Beware, though. If you make everything smart, appliances will start talking back to you, like in the Flintstones. "It's a livin'."
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