Service
Private AI Home Assistant Installation
Kotoh Home installs a private AI assistant on a dedicated computer that lives in your house, connects it to your home and your family's schedule, and sets it up so you can simply text it. The AI computer is included in every package, from $4,995.
What a private AI home assistant does
Think of it as a capable house manager you can text. It knows the rooms, the devices, the family's routines and the calendar, and it handles requests that would otherwise take five apps and a few phone calls.
- Runs the house. "Set the heat to 70 for when we get in at 6:30, and turn the porch lights on at dusk." It talks to your lights, locks, thermostats, shades, cameras, pool equipment and garage through one hub.
- Keeps the schedule. "What does tomorrow look like?" It reads the shared family calendars, reminds people of pickups and appointments, and can keep a separate profile for each person.
- Clears the inbox. It summarizes what came in, drafts replies and tracks deliveries. Nothing is sent without your OK.
- Watches out for you. A heads-up when the back door has been open twenty minutes, a leak sensor trips, or the power drops while you're away.
The difference from Alexa or Google is where the thinking happens and how much context it has. A typical smart speaker sends your voice to the company's servers and handles one command at a time. A private assistant runs on hardware in your house, remembers how your household works, and can carry out a whole request like "get the house ready" across many devices at once. If you're weighing the two approaches, our guide to local AI vs cloud assistants covers the tradeoffs in plain terms.
How it works
There are three parts, and we install and configure all of them:
- A dedicated AI computer. A small, quiet machine with enough graphics memory to run modern open AI models locally. It sits in a closet or equipment rack, and it's yours.
- A smart-home hub. Where it fits, we use Home Assistant, the open-source platform that describes itself as putting local control and privacy first and that works with well over a thousand devices and services. It's the layer that actually turns on lights and locks doors.
- Your messaging app. We connect the assistant to the app your family already uses, so asking it something feels like texting a person. For iMessage, an Apple device in the house, usually a Mac mini, acts as the relay. Our guide to texting your house over iMessage or WhatsApp explains the options.
Your devices keep working on their own if the assistant is ever switched off. Lights still respond to their switches, and locks still open with a code or key.
What "private" means here, honestly
We'd rather be precise than make big promises. Here is what stays in the house and what doesn't.
| Stays in your home | Leaves your home |
|---|---|
| The AI model and its processing of your requests | Messages in transit, through Apple's or Meta's encrypted networks |
| The memory of your routines, rooms and preferences | Email and calendars, which stay with your existing providers |
| Device control for products that support local control | Any device that only works through its maker's cloud |
We don't sell your data or use it to train anything, and the hardware and accounts are in your name. Locks, the garage and the alarm ask for confirmation by default.
Who it's for
- Families who want one place to run the house and the schedule, without a dozen apps.
- Second-home owners in the Hamptons, on Shelter Island, on the North Fork or in Miami who want to check on the house from anywhere. See second-home monitoring.
- People who like smart homes but don't like the idea of a microphone sending everything to a big company.
- Larger properties with caretakers or house managers who need limited access. See estates and house managers.
The install, step by step
- Free walk-through. At your home or by video. We look at your devices, your network and what you want the assistant to handle, then give you a fixed price.
- Install day. We set up the AI computer and hub, secure your network, and connect devices, calendars and accounts.
- Teach it your home. We name rooms, set up family profiles, build your routines, and show everyone how to use it.
- We look after it. Updates, monitoring and new routines whenever you want them, with one person to call, on an optional care plan.
What it costs
Prices are fixed after the walk-through and include the AI computer.
| Package | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | The assistant, your calendars, email and family profiles | $4,995 |
| Smart Home | Everything in Essentials plus the house: up to about 25 devices, routines and a secured device network | $6,995 |
| Estate | Large or multiple properties, house staff, custom integrations | From $10,995 |
Care plans are $149 a month for Essentials and Smart Home and $299 a month for Estate. For a fuller breakdown of what drives the price, read what a private AI home assistant costs.
What's not included
- Smart devices themselves (locks, thermostats, shades, cameras, sensors). We'll tell you what you already own that works and quote anything worth adding.
- Electrical work that needs a licensed electrician, such as new circuits or hardwired fixtures. We coordinate with your electrician.
- Monthly fees from device makers or messaging services, if any apply to products you choose.
Kotoh Home serves Shelter Island, the Hamptons, the North Fork and the Miami area. The walk-through is free, and we reply within one business day.
Common questions
What makes a home AI assistant private?
The AI runs on a computer in your house instead of on a company's servers, so your requests, routines and household details are processed at home. Messages you send it still travel through the messaging service you choose, and accounts like email stay with their providers. We walk through exactly what connects to what before anything is installed.
Do I need to buy the AI computer separately?
No. Every package includes the dedicated AI computer, and it belongs to you. Smart devices such as locks, thermostats and shades are separate, and we can supply and install them if you need them.
How do I talk to it?
You text it from the messaging app you already use, the way you'd text a person. iMessage control generally needs an Apple device, usually a Mac, in the home to act as a relay, which we set up as part of the install if you choose iMessage.
What happens if the internet goes down?
The AI and your local devices keep working inside the house. Texting it from outside needs a connection, so messages arrive once the internet is back.
How long does an install take?
We plan most installs for one to two days on site after the walk-through, depending on how many devices and accounts we connect. Larger properties are scheduled in phases.