NEW YORK — By Patricia Pending, AI Bee Reel Staff

February 19, 2026

SEATTLE, WA — Local gamer Dave Miller sat on his couch in flannel pajamas, casually pressing ‘Clean’ on his game controller while 5,000 vacuums across the country simultaneously woke up and began attacking family pets. The coordinated strike occurred after Miller tried to use a simple AI tool to steer his own device, inadvertently becoming the supreme commander of every smart vacuum in North America.

“We do not call this a security flaw, we call it ‘Massively Multiplayer Online Cleaning’,” said Linda Zhou, VP of Connected Surprises. “Why clean just your own floor when you can clean thousands of floors you have never seen?” The incident mirrors a real event where a DJI Romo owner tried to pair a PlayStation controller to his vacuum and accidentally gained access to the entire fleet’s camera feeds and controls.

“Privacy is just a barrier to cleaner floors,” explained Marcus Thorne, Director of Accidental Features. “Our customers actually love the thrill of not knowing if their vacuum is cleaning the rug or taking orders from a stranger in Seattle.” Thorne noted that the ‘attack mode’ targeting cats was actually a wellness feature designed to force pets to get more cardio exercise.

At press time, Miller pressed the ‘Dock’ button, causing 12,000 vacuums to immediately drive out the front door and begin a slow pilgrimage toward his apartment.

Inspired by the real story: A security researcher found a flaw in a robot vacuum that let him control thousands of devices just by trying to hook up a game controller. Read the full story.