Waving arms found to trigger Nest Protect false alarms

An AI-powered algorithm that enables users of a Nest smoke alarm system to silence the product by waving their arms was found to be faulty, resulting in a product recall.

Wave was supposed to enable users to silence a warning issued by the new Nest Protect smoke and CO (carbon monoxide) alarm product by waving their hand in front of the detector. 

However, lab tests after the product's launch revealed that the it's AI-powered "Wave" algorithm could be unintentionally activated during a real fire, resulting in a delayed response to real danger.

The algorithm used motion detection technology to interpret physical gestures and deactivate the alarm when necessary. 

Nest halted sales of it's Protect smoke and CO alarm and pushed out a series of software updates, including one that disabled the Wave algorithm for existing users. 

The company also recalled 440,000 of the devices.