Smart Products Report 2025: Usage and fears on the rise

Smart technologies have become an integral part of people's everyday lives in Switzerland: today, 85 % of respondents own or use smart products – an increase of 17 % since 2022. Smart TVs (42 %), smartwatches (41 %) and robot vacuum cleaners (24 %) are particularly popular, followed by smart headphones (23 %) and loudspeakers (20 %). The use of AI chatbots such as ChatGPT was also analysed for the first time: Almost a third (31 %) of respondents already use them regularly, with more than two-thirds (76 %) of teenagers doing so.  

The advantages of these technologies are obvious to many. Users report that smart products save them two hours a week, which they use primarily for leisure, relaxation and family. Smart products can therefore also contribute to work-life balance. At the same time, many develop a close relationship with their devices: some give them nicknames, others even see them as a family member or friend. 

However, smart products also trigger fears, especially in French-speaking Switzerland. Many find them scary and worry about the loss of human competences or their personal autonomy. The “Smart Products Report 2025” from the University of St.Gallen shows how new digital technologies enrich everyday life – but also pose challenges.

Selected study results on the use of smart products: 

Distribution and usage patterns 

• It is hard to imagine Swiss households without smart products. Their prevalence is steadily increasing, with younger generations and certain regions leading the way. Usage patterns show clear differences between age groups and lifestyles. 
• 85 % of Swiss people, or 908 out of 1,062 respondents, own or use smart products – an increase of 17 % since 2022. 
• Users of smart products are on average younger (44 years compared to 54 years for non-users). and work longer hours (9.6 hours per day compared to 7.8 hours for non-users). 
• Almost one in three Swiss people (31 %) regularly use AI chatbots, with usage being highest among university students (71 %) and other students (50 %). Use decreases with increasing age. 

Benefits and fears 

• Smart products offer numerous benefits such as time savings and convenience, but also raise questions about data protection, autonomy and the loss of everyday skills.  
• The three biggest benefits of smart products are time savings, high convenience and keeping up with technological trends.  
• The use of smart products saves the Swiss an average of two hours per week, which is mainly used for leisure, relaxation and family time.  
• 67 % of respondents fear losing everyday skills such as cooking or cleaning, and 62 % are concerned about a possible loss of intelligence through the use of smart products. 
• 64 % feel restricted in their freedom of choice as smart products increasingly react autonomously. 
• 25 % find smart products scary, while 28 % even perceive them as a potential threat.  

Social and psychological effects 

• The integration of smart products into everyday life not only changes habits, but also social and psychological perceptions. They influence people's relationship to technology and its role in society. 
• 37 % of respondents increasingly perceive people and smart products as competitors – an increase from 29 % in 2022. 
• Over a third of users (36 %) give their smart products nicknames, a further increase since 2022 (29 %).
• Almost half of respondents (47 %) describe smart products as research assistants; some even see them as a family member (8 %) or friend (7 %).

Smart Products Report 2025 

The “Smart Products Report 2025”, now in its third edition, is a representative survey on the use and perception of smart products in Switzerland. A total of 1,062 people were surveyed. The study was supported by Vorwerk. The authors of the study are Prof. Dr. Emanuel de Bellis and Sophia Prix from the Institute of Behavioural Science and Technology (IBT-HSG).

A summary of the most important findings ("Selected Insights") is available for download at: ibt.unisg.ch

Image: cover of the report
(@kjpargeter, Freepik)