Gemini's new smart home feature

Control your smart home devices using natural language prompts.

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Hello and welcome to the Automated, your AI tour guide.

Google just took smart home control up a notch with its latest update, making managing your smart home simpler and smarter.

Here’s what we have for you today:

  • 🤩 Gemini's new smart home feature!

  • 😱 China repurposes Meta’s AI for military use!

  • 👀 5 Generative AI trends to watch in 2025.

  • 🖥️ How to use Claude AI’s newly added desktop app and dictation mode.

  • 🤖 ChatGPT Prompt Of The Day: To Improve Focus During Work Hours.

🤩 Gemini's New Smart Home Feature!

Google is adding a Google Home extension to its Gemini app.

This will allow you to use natural language prompts to control your smart home devices, such as lights, air conditioning units, curtains, TVs, speakers, and more, in Gemini.

Picture this: you say, “Set the dining room for a romantic date night,” and watch the lights dim to perfection.

Or when you’re tidying up, simply ask, “Help me clean up the kitchen,” and watch as the vacuum springs to life.

And it doesn't end there!

Google also notes that the extension links to the Google Home app for controls related to security devices such as your cameras, locks, gates, and doors.

But, of course, there are a few limitations.

The new extension in Gemini does not support all smart devices and cannot execute routines, either. Still, it’s worth a try, isn’t it?

This exciting update is available to Android users through Google Home’s Public Preview program.

Just follow the steps to join the Google Home Public Preview, and you’re in.

From there, you only need to sign in to the Gemini app with the same account you use for Google Home, and voila!

You can ask Gemini to perform specific actions, like “turn on the living room lights.”

And a quick tip: if Gemini doesn’t respond to your commands right away, you may have to include “@Google Home” in your prompt.

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😱 China Repurposes Meta’s AI for Military Use!

Meta's open-source AI just got a new job, which it definitely didn't sign up for.

Some top-tier Chinese researchers, including some from the People's Liberation Army (PLA), have taken Meta's Llama AI model, given it a military makeover, and rolled out "ChatBIT."

According to Reuters, the PLA-backed team used Meta’s Llama 13B model, tweaked it with custom parameters, and turned it into a fine-tuned intelligence tool they surprisingly claim is close in performance to OpenAI's ChatGPT-4.

The goal? 

A military-focused AI assistant that could help with intelligence gathering, analysis, and even battlefield decision-making.

They claim ChatBIT can answer military queries better than some other AI models, but the details on actual performance are still a bit murky.

But here’s the kicker: Meta’s policies technically ban military use of their AI.

However, given the "open" part of open-source, keeping an eye on who’s using it and for what is easier said than done.

When Reuters reached out, Meta's public policy director made it clear that using Llama for military purposes was “unauthorized” and against their rules.

And get this: this AI remix has stirred up more than just headlines.

It’s become part of a wider U.S. debate about whether keeping models like Llama open-source is worth the potential security risks.

With China funneling billions into AI and President Biden’s recent executive order on responsible AI use, the stakes have never been higher.

Washington is also tightening rules to keep critical U.S. tech from making its way into Chinese hands.

Oh, and there’s more:

The PLA team’s research also hints that, down the line, ChatBIT could tackle not only intel but also big-picture strategies like training, simulations, and command decisions.

However, with only 100,000 military dialogue records in its training data (a tiny drop in the AI ocean), experts are wondering just how capable this PLA-born ChatBOT really is.

In the end, Meta’s Llama was supposed to be a friendly, open-source model for innovation, yet here it is, potentially retrained as a digital guard dog.

The U.S. isn’t exactly thrilled, and the Pentagon’s got its eye on how “open” open-source AI should be.

💃 New Daily Content Series

We're thrilled to announce the launch of our new daily content series, "The Automated Show," which is available as a Podcast and on Instagram.

This is an exciting new way for you to stay up-to-date on the latest news and insights in the world of AI and automation.

For "The Automated Show" Daily Podcast, you can tune in every weekday for a fresh 1-minute episode covering top AI and automation stories, trends, and developments.

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🧱Around The AI Block

  • 👀 5 Generative AI trends to watch in 2025.

  • 🖥️ How to use Claude AI’s newly added desktop app and dictation mode.

  • 💼 Disney forms a business unit to coordinate the use of AI and augmented reality.

  • 👏 Gemini can now summarize Google Chat conversations.

  • 🤖 Anthropic introduces Claude 3.5 Sonnet with visual PDF analysis for images, charts, and graphs under 100 pages.

  • 🗳️ Perplexity launches an elections tracker.

  • 📸 Runway goes 3D with new AI video camera controls for Gen-3 Alpha Turbo.

  • Movavi: Download safe video software, smart photo editing apps, and system management utilities designed for Mac OS.

  • Jimeng AI: Transforms simple text or images into high-quality videos instantly.

  • Clarity AI: Upscale and enhance your images with AI Magic.

  • Magic Patterns: Prototype your product ideas with AI.

  • Pathway: Enables research and product design teams to quickly test UX solutions by creating effective UX tests in minutes.

🤖ChatGPT Prompt Of The Day: To Improve Focus During Work Hours.

Improving focus during work hours is key to enhancing productivity.

Focusing deeply allows you to give full attention to details, reducing errors and improving the overall quality of your work.

Here's a prompt that can help you with that.

I need suggestions for techniques that can help improve focus and productivity during work hours. The techniques should be practical, easy to implement, and effective in helping individuals stay focused and avoid distractions while working.

Your task is to provide a list of proven techniques that can help improve focus, concentration, and productivity during work hours.

- Work environment: [work environment]
- Typical distractions: [typical distractions]

We've Compiled a List of Over 100 ChatGPT Power Prompts.

This should help streamline your interactions with ChatGPT and get the results you need more efficiently.

Best of all, It's free!

That's all we've got for you today.

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