Fact · Voice and AI
Home Assistant says Assist handles commands first by default, and only sends questions or commands it does not understand to the AI you have set up.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“By default, Assist will handle commands first. Only questions or commands it can’t understand will be sent to the AI you’ve set up.”
Building the AI-powered local smart home, Home Assistant project, Home Assistant blog, 2025, AI in Home Assistant.
Open the original- What it measures
- The project's example is that turning on the kitchen light is handled by Assist, while a request for help in the dark kitchen goes to the AI.
- What it does not show
- The default described in September 2025. The option named prefer handling commands locally can be set for each assistant, so check it in your own settings.
Source
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