A new Reddit thread reflects growing frustration among owners of connected home energy products: unwanted AI features being pushed into the apps they depend on to control their hardware.
In this case, one EcoFlow owner said the update was so frustrating that they considered returning their device.
Here's what to know
In r/EcoFlow_community, a user asked how to disable the EcoFlow app's AI assistant.
They wrote: "I'm seriously considering sending my unit back because of this. It's annoying gets in the way and offers completely zero net benefit to functionality!"
Replies mixed complaints with instructions.
One commenter said, "Turned it off right away in settings. Ecoflow, if you are reading this…. if you make it required, then this will be the last ecoflow product I ever buy."
Another explained how to disable it: "Me > Ecoflow Assistant … Toggle the switch."
That kind of complaint matters for home battery buyers because the app stays with the system for years, long after the hardware is installed.
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More background
What stood out in the discussion was frustration with added clutter in an app people use to track power and backup equipment, rather than a broad debate about AI itself.
One commenter called the feature "Totally useless," while another wrote: "What a worthless feature. I knew there would be a thread."
The original poster said they eventually found the off switch but also wrote, "If you ask the ai assistant how to do it, it goes into a doom loop."
Another commenter added that they "had to drag the robot out of the way to find the switch."
AI can help the energy system in meaningful ways, including forecasting electricity demand, optimizing battery dispatch, and improving the use of solar and other clean energy resources.
However, AI tools also come with real tradeoffs, including high electricity and water use, security and privacy concerns, misuse, and the possibility of driving up costs when companies add features consumers never asked for.
What can be done?
According to commenters, an in-app setting appears to let users disable the assistant.
Products like these are part of a larger ecosystem, not just a battery box, and the app can go a long way toward making the investment feel empowering or frustrating.
Checking owner forums and a company's product history can help reveal whether pushing unwanted software features is a pattern.
For many people, reliability and ease of use will matter just as much as capacity, price, or charging speed.
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