The article discusses the increasing usefulness of running AI models locally, highlighting benefits like latency, privacy, cost, and control. It explores practical applications such as data processing, note-taking, voice assistance, and self-sufficiency, while acknowledging the limitations compared to cloud-based models.
The author details their journey from commercial smart speakers like Google Nest and Amazon Echo to building custom open-source voice assistants using ESP32-based hardware, ESPHome, and Home Assistant, highlighting benefits like privacy, control, and cost savings.
Stream Assist is a Home Assistant integration that allows users to turn almost any camera and speaker into a local voice assistant, offering privacy and customization benefits over commercial solutions like Alexa or Nest. It uses components like Stream, Assist pipeline, openWakeWord, Whisper, and Piper to process voice commands and control smart home devices.
