Amazon’s Alexa AI assistant has extended its reach in the smart home with a new capability of managing smart locks from Kwikset.
The latter’s SmartCode 910, 912, 914, and 916 devices can now be locked with a simple voice command from the user. The functionality operates through the Wink or Samsung SmartThings smart home hubs, and is evidently another product of Amazon’s having opened its Alexa platform to third party developers.
In a statement announcing the functionality, Samsung SmartThings VP Brett Worthington said it delivers “an experience that brings ease and simplicity to our customers’ daily lives,” while Wink VP Matt McGovren suggested that it helps to illustrate “the magic and utility of the smart home”.
According to Kwikset, Amazon’s latest API doesn’t support the unlock command, so potential invaders will have to do a lot more than speak to the locks in order to gain access to equipped smart homes. In the meantime, Amazon is reportedly working to enable voice recognition for Alexa, which (if it materializes) should offer an easy authentication solution for a contactless unlock command.
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