Can AI take household jobs off our hands? Haier seem to think so

A few years ago, AI was a mythical entity that seemed about as likely to infiltrate our lives as pigs were to fly or aliens were to land on earth. And while the latter two haven’t happened just yet, the presence of AI is very real.

In fact, according to a GOV.UK survey, 73% of UK adults had used AI in their day-to-day lives at least once in the previous month. For some people that’s just predictive text on their phones. For others, it’s getting their AI chatbot to plan a weekend break or their meals for the week ahead.

So far, it feels like AI is good at talking the talk, but us humans are still having to do the physical work. New gadgets land every day that are here to make our lives easier - but are they actually saving us time and effort?

Sadly, technology hasn’t yet developed enough to give us a Wallace and Gromit-style invention that’ll do all the meal prep, cooking and cleaning up. That said, things are constantly changing, and Haier's newest innovations due to launch in 2027 have the potential to be very helpful for time-poor parents.

The Haier Vision 15 Washing Machine has an AI Vision Sense camera in the door

Take, for example, the Haier Vision 15 Washing Machine, which has an AI Vision Sense camera in the door. According to Haier, it can recognise the size and colour of a laundry load, detect forgotten or trapped garments and monitor foam levels, while nine sensors work together to adjust the wash according to the load.

Then, there’s Haier’s Horizon refrigeration collection. Its AI Food Care System uses cameras and AI to recognise food and advise on where it should be stored and how long it can be kept. The Hydro Hub, meanwhile, combines food preservation with integrated chilled and sparkling water. No more soggy salad drawer? We’re sold.

If you’ve ever wished someone could keep an eye on the pizza in the oven to stop it burning on one side, then there’s a machine for that too. According to Haier, the ID Ultimate Series 6 oven incorporates AI Vision, an internal camera that recognises food and monitors its progress during cooking. Haier says it can even automatically stop the programme once the desired result has been achieved so you don’t have to worry about anything being overdone.

Should we be scared? Maybe. But also, appliances that use AI to do genuinely helpful stuff could be - well, genuinely helpful.

Most of these new appliances are due to launch in 2027 and we’ll be keen to put them through their paces when they arrive in the UK, so watch this space…

About the author

Charlie Bond is a freelance journalist and a mum of two (slightly wild) boys. As a lifestyle and shopping editor she's got more than 15 years' experience testing everything from family holiday hotspots to mum-friendly makeup.
She's always on the lookout for the best products to make parents' lives easier, whether that's a super-duper coffee machine (she's usually had three espressos by the morning school run) or a cleaning solution that really does get pen off the walls...

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