Early smart-home designers assumed occupants would own the knowledge their homes generated

Evidence

There were three working assumptions: first, the scientists and engineers understood that the new data systems would produce an entirely new knowledge domain. Second, it was assumed that the rights to that new knowledge and the power to use it to improve one’s life would belong exclusively to the people who live in the house. Third, the team assumed that for all of its digital wizardry, the Aware Home would take its place as a modern incarnation of the ancient conventions that understand “home” as the private sanctuary of those who dwell within its walls. — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 29

Categorization

• XREF: Sets up the contrast with what Nest and Google actually do — the Aware Home’s assumptions become the benchmark Zuboff measures surveillance capitalism against throughout the book. — connects to: Smart-home devices now create immense knowledge stores with unowned power — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 31; The Aware Home was designed as a closed loop controlled by its occupants — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 30; Control-room design choices rest on engineer preference without validated translation to homes.
• DEFINE: Establishes the baseline definition of the original smart-home ideal: occupant sovereignty over house-generated data.

Broader Connections

• Smart-home devices now create immense knowledge stores with unowned power #expands (0.85) — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 31
• The Aware Home was designed as a closed loop controlled by its occupants #responds-to (0.85) — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 30
• Control-room design choices rest on engineer preference without validated translation to homes. #qualifies (0.80)