My Smart Lock Let a Stranger Into My House Because It Thought He Looked Like Me

I live in a quiet neighborhood in Portland. I bought the August Smart Lock because I wanted to be able to unlock my door remotely. I travel a lot for work, and I have a dog walker who needs to access my house. The lock was supposed to make my life ea...

I live in a quiet neighborhood in Portland. I bought the August Smart Lock because I wanted to be able to unlock my door remotely. I travel a lot for work, and I have a dog walker who needs to access my house. The lock was supposed to make my life easier. For the first year, it worked great. I could unlock the door from anywhere, and I could give temporary access to guests. I thought I had found the perfect solution. I felt so secure knowing I could control my front door from anywhere in the world. Then one day, I came home to find a stranger in my living room. He was sitting on my couch, drinking my coffee. He was as confused as I was. He had a similar beard and similar glasses. The August Smart Lock had recognized him as a 'facial match' and unlocked the door. He had walked in thinking he was at his friend's house. He apologized profusely and left. I was terrified. I couldn't sleep for a week. Every time I heard a noise, I thought someone was breaking in. I reset the facial recognition. I turned off auto-unlock. I set up a PIN code instead. I thought I had fixed the problem. The lock still occasionally glitches and unlocks for my neighbor, who also has a beard and glasses. I don't trust my lock anymore. I've started using the physical key again. The convenience of the smart lock is ruined by the fear that it might let anyone in. I've even started double-checking the door every time I leave the house, just to make sure it's locked. I bought a smart doorbell camera to see who's entering, but that's just adding more tech to fix the tech. I've contacted August support twice. They said to 'retrain the facial recognition model.' I did. It didn't help. My neighbor still occasionally unlocks my door. The last time it happened, he walked in and found me in my pajamas. It was incredibly awkward. He apologized and left, but the damage was done. I've read about your state hates AI drivers and how AI is becoming more integrated into our homes. I didn't realize it would be integrated into my security. Has anyone else's smart lock failed them? I feel like I'm living in a horror movie. I've started leaving a note on my door that says 'Do not enter unless you are Rachel.' It seems to have helped, but I still don't trust the lock. I'm thinking about going back to a traditional deadbolt.