On Thursday, Josh.ai, a prominent control solution provider specializing in voice and AI technologies, held its annual Keynote presentation, this year called Josh.ai Keynote 2026, “Home in Harmony.” This year’s event highlighted largely software-based advances, such as an operating system update and a newly redesigned app.
Read more on Josh.ai’s Keynote 2026 event…
At Keynote 2026, Josh.ai CEO Alex Capecelatro made passing references to the company’s hardware solutions and even featured its latest remote control, the Josh Edge, in prominent demos throughout the prerecorded video presentation. However, Capecelatro elevated the company’s software chops, saying it is a “software-first” company.
He also explained to online viewers that because Josh.ai is a software-first company, this fact enables systems installations based on its products to be continuously improved through over-the-air updates. I would say this concept was the main theme of the entire event.
Presentation Recorded in 12,000 sq.ft. Oceanfront Home in Newport Beach,CA
The Keynote was recorded in a stunning 12,000 sq.ft. oceanfront home in Newport Beach, California. It turns out to be a builder’s spec home with a full multi-room Josh.ai AV system and a Lutron lighting and shades systems installation. Capecelatro walked around the home, stopping to highlight some new or updated feature in action. The installation was by integrator Jason Bernhardt of Custom Connection who installs Josh.ai and Lutron, as well as other brands.
Today’s keynote represents an important moment for Josh and for the broader smart home industry. For years, installing a smart home meant interviewing the client, pre-programming the system, installing it, then returning again and again to refine it as the homeowner figured out how they actually wanted to live in the space. With Josh.ai, that model changes. Systems can now be configured on the fly using natural language, even by the homeowner themselves.
Alex Capecelatro, Josh.ai CEO
The New AI X OS Operating System Advances AI Utilization
The two major announcements at this year’s keynote were the launch of a new operating system, known as AI X OS, and a refreshed app design. The big news about the new AI X OS is that it expands AI utilization across the control ecosystem. According to the company, this results in “…deeply embedding intelligence throughout the whole-home to deliver more intuitive and seamless user experiences.”
As users update to this new OS, they will notice limitless personalization opportunities, which can serve to dramatically enhance system operation in ways that feel natural and intuitive to every user in the household. They will, Capecelatro suggested, feel in harmony.
Refreshed Josh App Gains New Intuitive Updates & More Customization Capabilities
The refreshed Josh app looks nice, although I thought it looked nice before. Still, like all apps, the company is dedicated to continuous improvement, and that was evident here. Key enhancements announced here include:
- Favorites-First Home Screen: Users can pin their most important devices front and center, with each household member able to customize their own layout.
- Bottom Navigation Bar: A redesigned navigation bar that is more efficient to control and customize.
- Active Media Hub: Users have instant access to currently playing music and video control from anywhere in the app.
- Reimagined Voice Experience: A refreshed microphone interface brings faster, more contextual AI interactions for near-field commands.
- Device Categorization: Devices are automatically organized by category within each area to clean up room-level views while simplifying navigation.
- AI-Guided Scene Creation: Josh.ai actively recommends and generates scenes based on a home’s layout, connected devices, and a user’s living patterns.
Here is Something Cool: Using Voice to Program a Remote
Probably one of the coolest things I saw Capecelatro demonstrate is how you can now use voice commands to program the buttons on your Josh Edge remote.
“So, suppose we just want to quickly be able to get to Netflix,” Alex suggested. “I can use voice command and ask it to configure a button to do that. So I can say, ‘Configure button six to open Netflix.'” He then pushed the button and the TV switched to Netflix. It was pretty cool.
Let AI Set the Scene with AI Scenes Feature
Aside from device configuration, setting up scenes in a home system can sometimes be a vexing operation as well for end users. Josh.ai now offers AI Scenes, a feature that allows the systems built-in AI to automagically create a scene based on the prompt you provide.
For example, you have friends coming over to relax and chat. You’d like to set the scene and say to Josh: “Hey Josh, create a relaxing atmosphere in the great room for entertaining guests visiting from New Orleans.”
The AI analyses all the devices in the named room and automagically sets a relaxed lighting level, puts some soft jazz playing in the background, and more to match the request. It happens in seconds with no fuss necessary from the homeowner.
Take It Outdoors
The company also announced that when AI X OS is available this spring, it will come with native support for certain pool and spa integrations…bringing Josh outdoors. You can now instruct Josh to set the temperature of your hot tub and start the jets.
In addition to this, Josh.ai announced several new partnerships that are either available now or will be coming soon via an over-the-air software update. The new partnerships include…
- Aprilaire: S86 Thermostat
- Blaze by Sonance: Amplifiers
- Deako: Lighting
- DMX & DALI: Lighting
- IC Realtime: PoE Doorstation
- Jandy: Pool & Spa
- Konnected: Garage Doors
- Level: Locks
- Origin Acoustics: Amplifiers
- Shelly: Bluetooth Sensors
- Somfy: PoE Shading
- Theory: Amplifiers
- Pentair: Pool & Spa
To learn more about Josh.ai, be sure to visit: www.josh.ai.
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