'Ok Google, babysit the kids': Why the next Google Home could become a virtual nanny

European patent hints Google's AI could come with some child-monitoring capabilities 
A future version of the Google Home could act as a virtual nanny
Thomas Kolnowski / Unsplash

The smart home of the future could help parents with misbehaving children — by helping with discipline and spotting when youngsters break the rules.

Google is developing a new generation of hi-tech home monitoring — likened to a virtual nanny — which would detect bad behaviour when parents are not around.

It could do everything from reminding children to turn off the tap when brushing their teeth to issuing a warning if they go near the drinks cabinet. Features also being developed under a European patent include “detecting child mischief” with a “verbal warning” barked from a smart speaker, such as the Google Home assistant.

The tech giant said it would monitor “home alone” children via a network of devices, including cameras, thermostats and smart garden sprinklers.

The system could warn parents via smartphone alerts. Examples include parents being told if their children swear too much, as the home is programmed for “decreasing the use of foul language”.

It is also proposed that sensitive microphones could detect whispering to warn about youngsters plotting among themselves. The patent states: “Based upon the detection of these low-level audio signatures combined with active monitored occupants, the system may infer that mischief is occurring.”

Grounded children could be monitored to ensure they do not leave their room and lights go out at a set time.

The Google Home features the Google Assistant, a smart AI to help out around the home
Google

The patent adds: “The grounding policy may monitor the location of the grounded occupant and notify the supervisor when the grounded occupant’s location deviates from the grounded occupant’s bedroom.”

Parents would be sent smartphone updates about their child’s location in home “zones”, with the system automatically killing their phones when a screen-time limit is reached. It could even “monitor chore completion” and display the metrics as a pie chart. Teenage smokers also might not be able to escape in the smart home, as organic compound sensors would sound an alert when they detect cigarette smoke.

The plans have sparked concerns that the system could encourage parents to leave young children home alone. It also raised questions over privacy.

Lauren Seager-Smith, chief executive of the charity Kidscape, said: “Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have a right to privacy, with protection from attacks against family life. In a digital world where we are all increasingly starved of human connection, our children need living, breathing caregivers who listen, love, guide and connect — not 24-hour surveillance from a virtual nanny.”

Richard Bingley, chairman of the ­Global Cyber Academy, which helps firms with cybersecurity, said: “On one hand, this invention might reassure parents they can see their kids 24/7 but, on the other, it could be an open door for hackers to access people’s homes.”

Sarah Hesz, co-founder of mothers’ meet-up app Mush, said: “This could potentially be helpful … but kids learn through mischief and pushing boundaries. Let’s not turn our kids into robots too.”

Google declined to comment.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in