From turning on the lights and television to adding items to a shopping list, Chris Rowland and his family put their Google Home smart speakers to work every day.

The family uses artificial intelligence (AI) known as Google Assistant. When the Rowlands state commands out loud, things happen – from updates made to their calendar of appointments to an appliance switching on or light turning off.

With a Google Home speaker in the lounge room, the family makes the most of streaming music services like Spotify, played through wireless speakers around the house. The smart speaker can also turn on the television and find something to watch.

"Sometimes while I'm getting ready for work, I'll use Google Home to turn on something for the kids to watch," says Chris, a Sydney public servant.

"With our television supporting Google's Chromecast video streaming it's an entirely hands-free process and, when we're walking out the door, I simply ask Google Home to turn off the television."

A smaller Home Mini on the bedside table allows Chris and his partner Rachel to check the weather forecast from bed, or access their appointment calendar and make changes, using their voice.

"The kids enjoy asking Google silly questions such as, 'What does the fox say', but it's more than a toy and sometimes our four year-old will ask Google how to spell things," says Rachel.

Ask out loud and Google Assistant can be a fount of knowledge: need to know the height of Mount Kosciuszko or the recipe for lamingtons? The AI will answer. It also understands the content of follow up questions. For example, ask, "When were they invented?" and it knows you're still talking about lamingtons.

Beyond switching on lights and home entertainment gear, AI can be programmed to control heating, cooling, security cameras, power switches and household appliances from coffee pots to dishwashers.

The Rowland family might be early adopters, but mainstream Australia isn't far behind. Google's smart speakers arrived in Australia midyear and are steadily finding their way into more homes, says Foad Fadaghi, managing director of Australian technology analyst group Telsyte.

Amazon's Echo smart speakers are likely also on the way to Australia, Fadaghi says, while Apple's Siri-powered HomePod speaker has been delayed until next year.

"Less than 5 per cent of households in Australia have a smart speaker in use, according to our surveys, however we believe this will increase substantially over the next 12 months," he says.

"Smart speakers are priced in the gifting 'sweet-spot' and could do well during the holiday season, especially for those who might be looking to control aspects of their smart home with voice commands."