Better get used to your smart lights having built-in microphones

We’re all used to having our lights respond to verbal commands at this point. But normally, there’s a middleman passing our commands along, whether that’s our phone or a smart speaker that is actually listening to what we say. Lepro is eliminating the need for a separate controller by building a microphone directly into the power cord on its new AI Lighting Pro series.

The lineup includes a light strip (S1-Pro AI), a rope light (N1-Pro AI), a rail-thin floor lamp (OE1-Pro AI), and a wild-looking table lamp (TB1-Pro AI). The S1 is a pretty standard light strip, while the N1 adds diffusion to create a more seamless look. The OE1 includes RGB and a 2700K warm-white mode for reading and relaxing. And the TB1 has three independently movable and configurable intertwined rings that resemble a gyroscope. There’s no word on pricing or when they’ll launch in the US outside of “later in 2025.”

All have a built-in microphone and a voice assistant called LightGPM, which you can summon by saying “Hey Lepro.” While the capabilities are limited to controlling the light, the level of control is impressive. It can handle basic stuff like turning lights on and off and changing colors, but it can also use an LLM to create lighting patterns and effects in response to moods or activities like “I’m doing yoga” or “I’m a very stressed-out Mets fan.”

The lights also have Wi-Fi and can integrate with Alexa and Google Assistant, but that’s not what makes them interesting. It’s the standalone operation, the addition of yet another device in your home that is always listening. Other manufacturers have built voice control directly into their products, like Roborock and Ecovacs on their vacuums, and Sonos on its speakers, but it’s less common on lights (Dollar Tree is clearly a pioneer). The question is, do you need another device in your house listening to your every word and feeding it to an LLM? Maybe not, but chances are you’re gonna have to get used to it.