Google opens its smart home layer to third-party AI agents

You can now let Claude run your Google Home.

Google is opening its smart home ecosystem to third-party AI agents using the open Model Context Protocol (MCP). According to Google Home group product manager Taylor Lehman, agents like Claude, Hermes, or Open Claw can now access your connected devices, analyze camera history, and run automations on your behalf.

Why it matters: Traditional smart home assistants usually just turn lights on and off on command. Giving an agent access to your home's underlying data layer lets it reason across history—like calculating how many loads of laundry you ran last week or troubleshooting broken routines using natural language. It marks Google's push to become the underlying infrastructure layer for smart homes, letting outside developers build the AI experiences on top.

Know this: At launch, access is limited to Google Home Premium Advanced subscribers in the US ($20 a month or $200 a year) and requires configuring a Google Cloud project. Google says safety protections are built in; for instance, agents won't be allowed to unlock your doors.

Assuming developers trust Google not to abandon yet another smart home platform, your house might finally get a brain.