Can I build my own smart home assistant like Jarvis?

Smart Home Forum
1

Is there a way to create a smart home assistant powered by AI? Even if it means building a server?

I’ve had it with Alexa! Every night I ask it to play thunderstorm sounds to help me sleep, but instead, it starts pitching products or services. I’ve already turned off all ads and suggestions, yet it keeps going, which just wakes me up and ruins my night.

Google’s assistant also has its share of issues. I considered Apple, but it seems like it doesn’t play well with Spotify because they want to push Apple Music.

Are there any better options out there?

2

I set up a Wyoming Satellite for Home Assistant using the ‘Hey Jarvis’ wake word. It works fine with an old headset as a mic, but you can use any 3.5mm device for input or output.

If you’re looking for Spotify compatibility, Music Assistant might work with HomePods.

3

There’s a video you might find helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvbVePuP7NY&t=739s. The guy does exactly what you’re describing.

4

Hazel said:
There’s a video you might find helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvbVePuP7NY&t=739s. The guy does exactly what you’re describing.

Thanks for sharing! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.

5

Hazel said:
There’s a video you might find helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvbVePuP7NY&t=739s. The guy does exactly what you’re describing.

That guy’s videos are great, totally recommend his channel.

6

scofield said:
Josh.AI uses ChatGPT integration, so it might be what you’re looking for.

That’s really interesting. I’ve been dreaming of having my own Jarvis too.

7

scofield said:
Josh.AI uses ChatGPT integration, so it might be what you’re looking for.

Be warned though, it’s not cheap. It’s $1,000 a year or $10,000 for a lifetime subscription.

8

Amazon’s Alexa keeps trying to sell me stuff at bedtime…

Try changing the language setting for your device in the app to English (Canada). This can minimize or even eliminate the ads.

9

andywilsonn21 said:

Amazon’s Alexa keeps trying to sell me stuff at bedtime…

Try changing the language setting for your device in the app to English (Canada). This can minimize or even eliminate the ads.

That’s brilliant advice. Thanks!

10

There’s an open-source project started by a French developer. It’s now available here: https://openjarvis.com. Some parts of the site are in French, but translation tools should help you navigate.

11

Theodore said:
There’s an open-source project started by a French developer. It’s now available here: https://openjarvis.com. Some parts of the site are in French, but translation tools should help you navigate.

This looks promising. Thank you for the link!

12

labanslide said:
Why don’t any smart home assistants offer a posh British butler voice? I just want my Jarvis to sound classy.

If you’re using Echo, try the ‘British 2’ voice. It’s not perfect, but it’s close.

13

@zedenya
That’s a good idea! Training an AI voice with clips from the movies could work well.

14

It might be the skill you’re using with Alexa. I don’t experience more than one ‘by the way’ suggestion when I use mine. Maybe switch to another skill for nighttime sounds?

15

Blake said:
It might be the skill you’re using with Alexa. I don’t experience more than one ‘by the way’ suggestion when I use mine. Maybe switch to another skill for nighttime sounds?

I use a brown noise skill, and occasionally it tries to pitch the premium version. It’s annoying when I just want to fall asleep.

16

Check out r/OpenVoiceOS and the GitHub project: OpenVoiceOS · GitHub. It could be a great starting point.

17

Building a Jarvis-like assistant requires a significant investment and technical expertise. I’ve been working on my setup using Ubiquiti devices, Raspberry Pi in each room, and Llama 3.1 running on a server with an RTX 4090. It’s not cheap, but the end goal is a fully integrated, private AI system for my home.

18

@LockdownLiaison
I’ve got the technical skills, but affording a 4090 is out of reach right now.

19

@irmah
I need it for more than just music. I want to control my smart devices and ensure the AI runs locally without sending everything to the cloud.

20

@LockdownLiaison
That’s a lot of tech buzzwords, but it doesn’t really address the core issue. A true general-purpose AI assistant that functions as a Jarvis isn’t available yet.