1. Not Deployment of IOT Devices

The ambient system is not the deployment of IOT devices in order to help humans complete their tasks. This is an important point and key differentiator. Ambient computing devices are aimed toward minimal human interaction. They stay in the background and assist humans by their own situation perception, and action-taking capabilities.

These are not typical IOT devices that are spread across the areas to collect the data and make humans complete the tasks using themselves, or the information collected by them.

Indeed, IoT devices are a key part of ambient systems but we cannot use the reverse logic.

2. Ambient systems are not aimed at automating everything

From the initial glance, it looks like ambient systems are aimed towards automating everything. I want to make clear that this is not the case. They are aimed at making humans focus more on the objective, and not on the tasks. The burden of completing subtasks via technology to reach the objective has always been on humans. Ambient computing removes the burden of completion of sub-tasks only.

It is not aimed toward automated systems, and automated civilizations because humans shall always be at the center of each small ambient system. Ambient systems help humans to focus more on the final tasks/objectives.

They are present there to sense the environment, and the humans, and take actions based on the sensed input. It is unlike automated systems which do their tasks despite interacting with the environment. We can look at the difference between a thermostat which changes the temperature based on room conditions (ambient system) and a conveyor belt drilling unit (automated system).