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AI coding agents are helping people modify smart TVs and other connected devices, from stripping adverts to giving abandoned hardware a new lease of life, ZDNET reports. The catch: making a change is getting easier faster than proving it is safe or reliable.

One example, CleanYourTV, uses Android Debug Bridge to disable selected manufacturer packages and install a replacement home screen. Its documentation includes backups and a restore script. That is a targeted makeover, not a wholesale replacement of the TV’s operating system, and it requires the owner to enable and authorise debugging access. The projects still need technical know-how, and a powerful debugging connection or unreviewed replacement code can create security risks. AI can help with the fiddly work; it has not made every old gadget an effortless, dependable upgrade.

Discuss: Would you risk modifying a device you use every day for fewer adverts or a longer life, or should tinkering stay on hardware you can afford to break?

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