AI tools are helping people strip ads and tracking from smart TVs, but experts recommend safer options like built-in settings or an offline TV.
Why people are making smart TVs less smart
A TV that needs constant updates, serves ads and sends analytics back to its manufacturer can feel less like an appliance than another data-hungry computer. That frustration is driving people to ask AI agents to strip smart TVs down: remove apps, block advertising and limit tracking. The trend is more significant than it first appears. Vibe coding is putting device tinkering within reach of people who might never have written a script themselves.
But getting an AI to change your TV’s network traffic or software can also leave the device broken. Experts say there are simpler ways to cut the clutter, and some changes can be made in the TV’s own settings.
A fridge hack spoiled food in hundreds of French supermarkets. Cybersecurity experts say it’s a wake-up call ·
Is your TV spying on you?
Toronto tech analyst and cybersecurity expert Ritesh Kotak says constant updates can be tied to the apps and data collection built into TVs. “So yeah, here is a big push to make the TVs not as smart.”
AI can help — and cause trouble
People are sharing scripts for AI agents to run. One,
dumbtv, was built for a Fire TV that its developer found painful to use because of home-screen ads and slow-loading apps. Kotak says an agent can help identify a TV’s IP address and block traffic such as ads and analytics sent to its manufacturer.
Other users describe asking a Claude agent to guide them through the changes, a practice known as vibe coding. One
post promoting dumbtv claims it can remove spying and TV ads while allowing customization. Results vary: some users doubt Claude will help, and one says an attempt left an Android TV unusable. Experts have
warned against AI hacks and point to Kyu Launcher and AT4K Launcher as lower-risk ways to simplify the interface.
Introducing dumbtv: no spying, no ads from TV, fully customizable. To set up, just point your agent to this repo.
— DevMuzzammil
London, Ont., tech analyst and journalist Carmi Levy says people have long modified devices, but AI coding tools have widened access to that work. Similar efforts aim to make smartphones less distracting and addictive. Still, Levy’s warning is plain: these changes can damage a device, void its warranty or install the wrong software. “Sometimes it’ll work, sometimes it won’t. Sometimes you’ll end up breaking the very device that you’re trying to update.”
A cure for scrolling? Focus apps are popular, but experts warn more tech can add stress ·
Why the ‘dumb phone’ may be having a moment
For many TVs, Levy says, settings already offer a way to make the device less intrusive. And if privacy is the main concern, Kotak suggests connecting a Fire Stick, Apple TV or another streaming device to HDMI, then keeping the television itself offline. The TV functions as a screen while the streaming box handles Wi-Fi and apps.
That advice points to the underlying tension: consumers want fewer ads and less tracking, but using an AI agent to alter a device can introduce risks of its own. Levy sees the anger as understandable. “Every device that we buy has to be smart, every device we buy has to have an app and it has to collect all sorts of information.” People, he says, are “starting to get fed up” with the surveillance economy.He warns that an internet-connected TV can become easier to attack if its owner blocks services or skips security updates. Those persistent update prompts are often there to fix vulnerabilities, not just add features.
The risk may extend to the TV’s microphone. Kotak says hackers could potentially take control of some built-in features, though the fragment doesn’t establish how likely that is. If you keep a smart TV online, ignoring its updates can leave those features exposed.
Related coverage: [AI-driven worms that learn on the fly]( /news/business/ai-computer-worms-cybersecurity-9.7341021) · [Canadian hacker pleads guilty in Snowflake data breach case]( /news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/snowflake-data-breach-case-canadian-hacker-pleads-guilty-9.7297780)
