AI and the Future of Home Control in CI

With Mike Jbara, VP of Lenbrook Media Group, and Alex Capecelatro, CEO of Josh.ai.

For decades, home control has relied on structured programming, custom interfaces, and painstaking configuration. As artificial intelligence moves into the custom installation (CI) space, that model is shifting. The future of luxury home control isn’t about more buttons or more code, it’s about natural interaction, adaptive intelligence, and effortless experiences.

AI is transforming home control from something users must direct to something that works alongside them. As Alex Capecelatro, CEO of Josh.ai, explains, ‘AI is changing the idea of home control from something you manage to something that understands you. With our new AI X OS platform, Josh.ai moves the smart home beyond simple commands and toward true understanding.’

Instead of saying ‘turn on the kitchen lights,’ a homeowner might simply say, ‘get the room ready for dinner.’ The system interprets intent – adjusting lighting, temperature, music, and shades accordingly. It’s an evolution from programming commands to designing intent-based experiences.

As Mike Jbara, VP of Lenbrook Media Group, adds, ‘While it’s still early, we see AI allowing the home control industry to move from convenience and efficiency to responsiveness and localization. AI accelerates decision-making across inputs previously unmanageable. Something as simple as a subtle lighting adjustment will soon be linked to all the variables inside and outside a space, even those the occupants don’t perceive.’

This is where CI integrators can truly deliver value: creating living environments that feel organic, responsive, and seamless.

NAD CI sees AI as a key driver in simplifying and enriching home control. By reducing reliance on complex programming, integrators can spend more time on design and user experience, and less time troubleshooting.

Josh.ai’s AI X OS places intelligence at the heart of the system, integrating across audio, lighting, video, cameras, and environmental controls. Its AI Scenes feature personalizes automation to add new and exciting utility for homeowners while offering intuitive control by voice, touch, or traditional interfaces.

AI also empowers integrators. ‘AI should allow integrators to provide more value to their customers without incurring additional cost or time,’ says Jbara. ‘It will shorten the time to design systems because it naturally optimizes around desired results and project specifications. That means integrators can spend more time preparing systems to be appropriate on day one and improving them over time.’

By simplifying setup, configuration, and troubleshooting, AI lets dealers focus on creativity and client satisfaction rather than endless programming.

Usable voice control has long been the dream of smart home users, and AI is finally making it both trustworthy and human. Natural language understanding allows homeowners to speak conversationally, not by memorizing commands.

‘The goal is for people to speak to their homes the same way they’d speak to a friend,’ says Capecelatro. ‘AI helps interpret intent based on who’s speaking, where they are, and what they usually do.’

Jbara agrees that a step change is coming: ‘AI has us talking again. With most voice interactions happening on smartphones today, growth in the home depends on preserving what users value most: discretion and convenience.’

By combining contextual awareness with secure, local processing, AI-driven voice feels less like operating a machine and more like collaborating with an assistant.

AI’s greatest strength lies in adapting to the homeowner’s lifestyle. A truly intelligent home learns and responds over time, gently automating routines without overwhelming the user.

A wake-up scene that gradually brightens lights, opens shades, and starts music may soon adjust automatically based on the weather, the season, or even past behavior. These subtle enhancements create homes that feel thoughtful and alive, supporting daily life rather than overcomplicating it.

As Jbara notes, ‘With AI’s ability to apply real-time context and environmental data, we’ll see homes that deliver more pleasing, more appropriate environments, continuously improving as they learn how people interact and enjoy their spaces.’

As homes grow smarter, privacy has become a defining concern. ‘Clients want the intelligence of AI but not at the expense of their personal data,’ Capecelatro says. Processing locally, pledging to never sell user  data, and giving homeowners control builds trust, essential in luxury environments where discretion is part of the experience.

Jbara agrees that transparency will be key: ‘Maintaining consumer confidence and trust requires openness about how data is used. Security and trust cut across all consumer categories – an abuse of data in one space impacts all. Laws will evolve, so it’s wise that AI-enabled experiences don’t rely heavily on the most sensitive personal data.’

Reliable, secure systems aren’t just ethical, they’re commercially smart. Fewer support calls, happier clients, and simpler maintenance contracts all stem from systems that just work.

AI also thrives when systems can talk to one another. NAD, Bluesound, and the wider Lenbrook Group are supporting this evolution through initiatives like OpenAV Cloud, where Bluesound Professional is a contributing member.

OpenAV Cloud introduces the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a framework allowing AI models to understand and control devices using high-level intent rather than specific commands. Integrators and AI systems can simply express intent (‘prepare the conference room for a Zoom call’) and let MCP handle the details.

Jbara points to Lenbrook’s BluOS ecosystem as a key example of this philosophy: ‘BluOS is a marketplace of partner experiences, many already AI-enabled. Our value lies in managing the three-sided ecosystem of consumers, services, and devices. AI-enhanced analysis and monitoring will make BluOS experiences feel easier and more natural than ever.’

True sophistication lies in restraint. Rooted in Bauhaus design principles, the goal is to remove the unnecessary so that what remains feels effortless. AI should disappear into the background and make life easier, not more complicated.

For integrators, that means listening first, understanding how clients live and tailoring technology to enhance those routines. Not every project needs full automation; sometimes the simplest controls deliver the best experience.

Looking ahead, Jbara predicts that AI’s pace will redefine how the CI industry operates: ‘The integrator’s role is becoming even more important as things move at the speed of AI. To keep up, we’ll need to reduce total cycle times, from design to installation to support. Process design, software development, analytics, and metadata discipline will become table stakes.’

At NAD CI, we believe AI is ushering in a golden age of simplified sophistication. By combining adaptive intelligence, secure architecture, and thoughtful design, integrators can deliver homes that are not only smarter but more human.

Because the most elegant control system isn’t the most complex.
It’s the one that understands you.

Our thanks to Alex Capecelatro, CEO of Josh.ai, and Mike Jbara, VP of Lenbrook Media Group, for their contributions.