Change a thermostat setting by video with Gemini Live, but not a dryer (partial)
Copy the prompt below and paste it into the AI tool named on this page.
Prompt Recreated prompt
The source didn't share its exact prompt, so we wrote this from what it describes.
I'm blind and I'm pointing my camera at a thermostat. Tell me what temperature it's set to and which button lowers it, then check the display again after I press it.
Try this in:
Sends the Recreated prompt shown above. ChatGPT and Grok open with it filled in, and ChatGPT may send it straight away. Gemini opens empty, so we copy the prompt for you to paste. Every button also copies it.
Opens in a new tab. We don't see what you send.
These links are only a shortcut. We're not affiliated with OpenAI, Google or xAI, and your results may not match the source.
Optional stronger version
Our rewrite with extra checks. The poster didn't test it.
Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish. Goal: Use my camera to help me read and safely work an unfamiliar control panel, one step at a time. Questions to ask me first: - What device is it (thermostat, dryer, oven, washer), and do you know the brand? - What do I want it to do? - Can I feel any buttons or dials already, and where is my hand now? Inputs (fill in or confirm): - Device and brand: [DEVICE / BRAND] - What I want to happen: [GOAL] - Where my finger is: [POSITION] Rules: - Describe only what you can actually see; if the screen or label is blurry, say so and ask me to move the camera. - Give directions relative to my finger (up, down, left, right) and one step at a time. - After each press or turn, read the display again and tell me exactly what it says. - If you're not sure what a button does, say you're not sure instead of guessing. - For heat, gas or water, don't tell me to start anything until we've confirmed the setting. Checkpoint: Before I press anything, tell me what you think the current setting is and wait for me to confirm I'm on the right control. If you get stuck: If two tries don't work, stop and suggest asking a person, calling a sighted volunteer or checking the maker's manual. Verify before you finish: Read the final setting back and confirm it matches what I asked for. Output: Short spoken-style steps, then the final setting read back to me. Done when: The device shows the setting I wanted, confirmed by a fresh reading.
AI tool
Outcome
Kaylie L. Fox, who is blind, pointed a phone at a thermostat in Gemini Live's video mode and asked for help lowering the temperature. Gemini Live said it was set to 78 degrees and to press the down arrow on the right; after Fox pressed it, Gemini read the new setting: 74. 'Within seconds, we were much cooler.' Two weeks later, at a friend's house, Fox spent two frustrating hours on an unfamiliar dryer while Gemini confidently gave incorrect instructions twice, and Fox gave up. Fox now double-checks AI answers.
Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.
Known limitations
PartialThe source says it only partly worked, or had a significant problem a person had to deal with.
What went wrong: The thermostat change worked. Two weeks later, Gemini Live gave incorrect dryer instructions twice and Fox gave up after two hours.
Source
- Posted
- by Kaylie L. Fox
- Last checked
- Method:
- How we verify
https://kaylielfox.substack.com/p/when-independence-meets-uncertainty
Related cases
Clear a clogged sink with Gemini Live guiding each step
Instead of calling a plumber, the poster used Gemini Live, which guided them through the job, said what to buy and what might be causing the clog; they cross-checked the advice with Claude Opus. In about 15 minutes the sink was fixed, and the poster says they now understand how it works.
PersonalGemini LiveClaudeWorkedRecreated promptEvidence: Described by posterBeginner-friendlyView CasePrepare for job interview rounds with a Gemini Live mock interview
Android Police's Khumail Thakur gave Gemini their resume and the job description; it outlined their strengths and weaknesses for the role, then ran mock interviews in Gemini Live. They kept adding each round's notes and interviewers' LinkedIn profiles so it could predict the next questions. They say they made it through to the end of the process and Gemini helped them work out what salary to quote, though they took a different offer.
PersonalGemini LiveWorkedRecreated promptEvidence: Article or interviewView CaseCheck whether leftovers are still safe to eat with Gemini Live
Known in their family as the food risk-taker, TechRadar's Lance Ulanoff pointed Gemini Live at a container and asked if chicken salad made on 8/1 was still good. Gemini said chicken salad should only be kept in the fridge three to four days, so since it was made on August 1st and it was August 9th it should be thrown out. They threw it away and made a PB&J instead.
PersonalGemini LiveWorkedImproved promptEvidence: Article or interviewBeginner-friendlyView Case
