Chinese AI cloud platform service provider Tuya Smart is working with DeepSeek to redefine the role of AI in the smart home, turning cold technology into an emotionally intelligent companion.

Imagine returning home after a long day, mind weighed down by fatigue. An AI companion gently approaches: “Hey, you seem a little down today. I’ve prepared a list of comforting films, shall we watch one together?”

This is a result of the integration between Tuya and DeepSeek, which marks a shift in how technology interacts with human emotions. Devices such as cleaning robots, smart photo frames and others could address the emotional needs of residents and their pursuit of comfort, turning living spaces into sanctuaries of warmth and connection.

To break the monotony of daily routines and infuse homes with deeper emotional resonance, Tuya has embedded DeepSeek’s AI model into its AIoT platform. Leveraging natural language processing, context modelling and sentiment analysis, Tuya is collaborating with developers to create a wave of AI companion products. It is harnessing DeepSeek’s AI capabilities to transform smart-home devices into empathetic and emotionally responsive companions, offering psychological support and fostering a more human-centred intelligent living experience for users worldwide.

With the collaboration between Tuya and DeepSeek, smart devices enabled by Tuya could reach a new level of intelligence, enabling more natural, human-like communications with users. This could enhance interactions between users and AI companion products, overcoming past difficulties of poor communication and misunderstandings between smart devices and users, and bringing changes to the emotional dynamics of home life.

For example, in everyday family life, a companion robot patrolling the home may notice a resident wearing a scarf. By analysing their appearance, body language and speech, the robot could proactively initiate a conversation relevant to the moment, such as offering a compliment, sharing fashion tips or engaging in small talk, allowing users to feel noticed and understood.

When parents are away and their children need comfort, an AI-powered storytelling machine could activate, drawing children in to listen to a story. By simulating the voices and emotional expressions of different characters, it could create an immersive, three-dimensional auditory experience. With an interactive Q&A section embedded in the story, children could engage with the narrative, easing their feelings of loneliness in their parents’ absence.

On quiet nights when users feel lonely at home, they could turn to AI dolls for interaction. A simple touch on the doll’s head could prompt it to respond with sounds and facial expressions. Users could also play games with the dolls to relieve loneliness. When it’s time for bed, the doll could automatically adjust its posture, curling into a shape for hugging, offering warmth and companionship as users drift off to sleep.

To inspire global developers, Tuya and DeepSeek (www.deepseek.com) are jointly exploring the potential of AI-driven companion products, helping developers expand their business boundaries and seize market opportunities.

For example, unlike traditional virtual text-based companions that exist only online, holographic projection companions could provide a more tangible and immersive interaction experience. When a user feels lonely, the companion could appear as a realistic holographic projection and engage in natural conversations.

For those who love dogs but find daily pet care challenging, an AI-driven pet robot could offer a business avenue for developers. Resembling a real dog, it could simulate authentic pet interactions and possess emotional perception capabilities, providing users with timely and warm responses.

Compact AI jewellery could be designed for users to wear anytime, anywhere, offering constant companionship. It could detect emotional fluctuations and respond through subtle changes in light and temperature.

AI integration could let users own a personal mirror, bringing daily surprises. Users could customise their AI image within the mirror, enabling natural and fluid conversations.

By integrating DeepSeek’s AI model, Tuya (www.tuya.com) is transforming once-cold smart devices into emotionally intelligent companions, reshaping the market landscape and unlocking opportunities. Looking ahead, Tuya plans to continue focusing on the evolving companion economy, collaborating with developers to push the boundaries of AI companion products, drive innovation in companion services, and infuse the intelligent era with warmth and care.