According to 404 Media, a weekend trend saw people using AI to replace or modify proprietary software on smart TVs and internet-of-things devices. Examples include turning smart picture frames into AI-powered calendars, removing ads from baby monitors, and reviving bricked Lululemon mirrors. The goal is often to cut bloatware, end unwanted ads, or restore features that manufacturers removed.
The activity is tied to a viral GitHub repository called 'Reverse Engineer Anything,' which passed 342,000 stars. It lets users ask an AI agent to inspect an app without its source code, explain how a feature works, and build a version for their own project. Similar AI-driven efforts have produced clones of Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office, and video games, and one guitar pedal maker claimed he decompiled three competitors' products in 72 hours.
Mike Nolan, who studies the politics of open source software, told 404 Media that the barrier to recreating functionality has fallen, but maintaining software remains difficult and clones may not be reliable. The article also notes that AI-generated decompilations often have bugs users do not understand, and the pace of output makes vetting hard. Even if most people never hack their own devices, 404 Media argues the trend could have a broad 'sloppifying' effect on software and society.