Google Home Adds MCP Support, Opening the Door to Third-Party AI Agents

Google Home is adding support for the Model Context Protocol, a standard that lets AI assistants connect to outside apps and services. In practice, that means third-party AI agents could soon handle smart home tasks for you.

Google says the integration will let these agents "securely work with all of the devices and event history in your Google Home ecosystem." Suggested uses include monitoring activity with natural language, reviewing camera summaries across rooms, controlling connected devices and building custom smart home dashboards.

An early access build is promised in the "coming weeks," limited to Google Home Premium Advanced subscribers at $20 per month or $200 per year.

MCP was introduced by Anthropic in 2024 and has gained traction since, with Google, OpenAI, Microsoft and others supporting it in some form.

There are caveats. Experts have flagged security weaknesses in MCP, including a lack of enforced authentication, and real-world data breaches have followed adoption. Users should proceed with care.

Source: Engadget