Local processing is one part of privacy.
Processing a conversation on a computer at home can reduce the need to send that conversation elsewhere. It does not answer every privacy question. You still need to know what is saved, which household accounts can see it, whether a room device can retrieve it and how to remove it.
Online actions also need a clear boundary. A web search sends a query to a service. A connected calendar needs access to calendar information. Ask what leaves the home for each feature instead of assuming that one local component makes every action offline.
Ask these questions before enabling a room.
- What can this room capture: speech, images, both or neither? Can I choose independently?
- Is ambient conversation capture opt-in, and can people tell when it is enabled?
- What is retained: raw media, text, selected photos or derived tasks? How do I review and remove it?
- Can a guest or child hear private information through the room speaker?
- What happens if recognition is uncertain? The system should not grant access based on a guess.
What Aspen is designed to do.
Aspen is designed around household intelligence processed locally, with room permissions and a distinction between private and shared information. The household developer preview provides individual accounts, private or shared memory, local tasks and an authenticated device API.
Ambient conversation capture and candid photography are opt-in experiences. You choose which rooms may see or listen. Connected online services may require information you choose to share. The full consumer product is in development; permissions and availability depend on the build you use.
Check the controls, not just the promise.
Before using any assistant broadly, test a shared task and a private note with different accounts. Check what the room speaker can access. Review capture settings and the available deletion controls. Do this with harmless examples so the result is easy to inspect.
No independent security audit or certification is claimed here. Aspen is also not an emergency monitoring service or a replacement for smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors. Home context can be incomplete, and a camera observation is not proof that a room or appliance is safe.
Put it to work
A sensible first-room setup.
Use this checklist to evaluate the controls in the version you are trying. It describes an approach, not a promise that every planned control is available today.
Start with one shared job.
Choose a kitchen shopping list or a household reminder. Agree who should be able to view and change it.
Grant only what the job needs.
Review room permissions before turning on audio or video. Leave ambient capture off unless the household wants it enabled.
Try the boundaries.
Use a harmless private note to check account separation. Inspect saved information, test deletion and review which external services are connected.
Who this is for.
For households that want useful home AI and clear control over personal information. For an early product, start with limited permissions and verify the behavior you depend on.
A few good questions.
Does a local home assistant work without internet?
Some functions can. Aspen’s local sign-in, saved memory, tasks and reminder scheduler run on the home computer. Local model answers need a compatible installed model. Downloads, online tools and cloud-only services need internet; connected room devices need the home network.
Does Aspen send everything to the cloud?
Aspen is designed to process household information locally. Connected online services may require information you choose to share. Review the specific feature and permissions rather than assuming that every action stays offline.
Is a shared room speaker a personal account?
No. A room device is shared household space and should receive only its authorized context. It should not choose another person’s identity to retrieve their private memory.