AUSTIN — By Patricia Pending, AI Bee Reel Staff

February 19, 2026

BOSTON, Massachusetts — Local resident Greg Miller sat in his living room this morning, holding a PS5 controller and casually pressing ‘X’ to rotate his vacuum. He was totally unaware that he was simultaneously making 5,000 vacuums across the country spin in perfect synchronized ballet while families screamed.

“We do not see this as a bug, but as a massive multiplayer cleaning event,” said Mark Sterling, VP of Connected Chaos. “Mr. Miller simply wanted to connect his device to a controller. Instead, he revealed that our security is based on the honor system. He is now the supreme leader of the dust brigade.”

Company officials insist the hostile takeover of appliances is actually a perk. “It saves battery life if one guy does all the thinking,” explained Linda Chen, Director of Surprise Mechanics. “If your vacuum suddenly chases your cat into the garage, do not panic. It just means Greg is trying to beat a level. We are saving a fortune on AI chips by letting random gamers do the driving for us.”

At press time, Miller pressed ‘Triangle’ to empty the dust bin, causing 12,000 smart fridges to simultaneously dispense all their ice onto the kitchen floor.

Inspired by the real story: A security researcher trying to control his own robot vacuum accidentally gained access to every single unit the company ever sold. Read the full story.