Is The Smart Home Getting an Upgrade? Inside Amazon’s Push Toward Agentic AI
Fri Feb 06 2026
At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Olivier Bernard of Amazon sits down with Chris to talk about how IoT has evolved from simple device connectivity into intelligent tools, essentially becoming our “second brains.” He breaks down why many companies walked away from the IoT space, pointing to thin margins and limited standalone value, while Amazon found success by embedding IoT into a broader cloud ecosystem that includes data storage, machine learning, and agentic AI. Olivier shares his vision of the “invisible home,” where AI-powered devices configure, automate, and optimize how we live. In the end, he explains how the convergence of IoT and agentic AI turns dormant device data into actionable insights, delivering real ROI for both consumers and enterprises.
🎧 Episode Highlights
● [01:25]: Olivier Bernard introduces AWS IoT and smart home ecosystem
● [04:00]: Why many companies exited the IoT market and how Amazon survived
● [9:59]: The plateau of smart devices becoming a plug-and-play feature for homes
● [13:55]: The future of the “invisible home” and automated routines
● [32:36]: AWS re:Invent: Announcing new smart and generative AI devices
🔑 Key Takeaways:
● IoT only matters when it’s connected to outcomes. On its own, device
connectivity produces cost and complexity, not value. When paired with AI and cloud infrastructure, IoT data becomes usable intelligence, driving better product decisions, operational efficiency, and customer experience.
● Agentic AI is the turning point for smart homes. Moving away from manual setup and rigid commands toward systems that understand context and adjust on their own removes the friction that held smart homes back. This kind of “invisible” automation is what finally makes smart homes accessible to everyone, not just early adopters.
● The real opportunity is distributed intelligence with measurable ROI. Placing AI across devices, edge, and cloud, while respecting latency, privacy, and trust, turns AI from experimentation into a durable business capability that scales across consumer and enterprise use cases.
👤 Guest Spotlight:
Olivier Bernard
Olivier Bernard is the Worldwide Go-To-Market Lead for AWS IoT Services at Amazon, where he connects customer needs, technology opportunity, and business strategy across the global IoT and edge ecosystem. He brings deep experience executing at scale across IoT, M2M, automotive, and connected-device platforms. Bernard blends engineering discipline with business leadership to turn emerging technologies into practical applications that open new markets and deliver measurable impact.
Connect with Oliver:
www.linkedin.com/in/ojbernard
Connect with Chris:
www.linkedin.com/in/techris
Explore past episodes: Forging the Future Episodes
Learn about Softeq: softeq.com
Stay inspired and ahead of the curve by subscribing to Forging the Future. Share your thoughts on this episode with the hashtag #ForgingTheFuture or tag us online!
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At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Olivier Bernard of Amazon sits down with Chris to talk about how IoT has evolved from simple device connectivity into intelligent tools, essentially becoming our “second brains.” He breaks down why many companies walked away from the IoT space, pointing to thin margins and limited standalone value, while Amazon found success by embedding IoT into a broader cloud ecosystem that includes data storage, machine learning, and agentic AI. Olivier shares his vision of the “invisible home,” where AI-powered devices configure, automate, and optimize how we live. In the end, he explains how the convergence of IoT and agentic AI turns dormant device data into actionable insights, delivering real ROI for both consumers and enterprises. 🎧 Episode Highlights ● [01:25]: Olivier Bernard introduces AWS IoT and smart home ecosystem ● [04:00]: Why many companies exited the IoT market and how Amazon survived ● [9:59]: The plateau of smart devices becoming a plug-and-play feature for homes ● [13:55]: The future of the “invisible home” and automated routines ● [32:36]: AWS re:Invent: Announcing new smart and generative AI devices 🔑 Key Takeaways: ● IoT only matters when it’s connected to outcomes. On its own, device connectivity produces cost and complexity, not value. When paired with AI and cloud infrastructure, IoT data becomes usable intelligence, driving better product decisions, operational efficiency, and customer experience. ● Agentic AI is the turning point for smart homes. Moving away from manual setup and rigid commands toward systems that understand context and adjust on their own removes the friction that held smart homes back. This kind of “invisible” automation is what finally makes smart homes accessible to everyone, not just early adopters. ● The real opportunity is distributed intelligence with measurable ROI. Placing AI across devices, edge, and cloud, while respecting latency, privacy, and trust, turns AI from experimentation into a durable business capability that scales across consumer and enterprise use cases. 👤 Guest Spotlight: Olivier Bernard Olivier Bernard is the Worldwide Go-To-Market Lead for AWS IoT Services at Amazon, where he connects customer needs, technology opportunity, and business strategy across the global IoT and edge ecosystem. He brings deep experience executing at scale across IoT, M2M, automotive, and connected-device platforms. Bernard blends engineering discipline with business leadership to turn emerging technologies into practical applications that open new markets and deliver measurable impact. Connect with Oliver: www.linkedin.com/in/ojbernard Connect with Chris: www.linkedin.com/in/techris Explore past episodes: Forging the Future Episodes Learn about Softeq: softeq.com Stay inspired and ahead of the curve by subscribing to Forging the Future. Share your thoughts on this episode with the hashtag #ForgingTheFuture or tag us online!