Google is opening up its smart home ecosystem to third-party AI agents through a new integration called Google Home MCP, based on the Model Context Protocol standard. The move allows tools such as Claude, Google Antigravity, Hermes and Open Claw to access and control connected devices and view a home's event history, marking a shift from simple voice commands towards AI systems that can reason across data and take action on a user's behalf.

The integration sits alongside Gemini for Home rather than replacing it, giving agents capabilities such as cross-camera analysis, reviewing device history and sending voice messages through Google Home speakers. It is initially limited to Google Home Premium Advanced subscribers in the US, priced at $20 a month or $200 a year, with a rollout beginning in the coming weeks and setup requiring a Google Cloud project. Google says it has built in safeguards, such as rate limits and a block on agents unlocking doors, though it has warned that connecting agents could still produce "unexpected or even undesired behaviour."