What's next for Philips Hue? Executive Marco Merolla says AI will change 'the way you can enjoy the system and create beautiful things'

Philips Hue has had a busy week, with the company unveiling a new approach to AI at its annual showcase in Berlin. The AI technology aims to simplify the process of creating personalized lighting setups for homes, eliminating the need for users to manually adjust settings. This AI assistant is not a new addition to the Philips Hue lineup.

In 2025, the brand introduced an AI assistant that could find matching lighting scenes in its library or create new ones if none were available. Earlier this year, Philips Hue launched SpatialAware for the Philips Hue Bridge Pro, which adjusts lighting scenes based on the position of smart bulbs, light strips, and lamps in a room, using AI trained by professional lighting designers.

After the showcase, I spoke to Marco Merolla, Executive Vice President and Business Leader of Consumer Connected Lighting at Signify, the parent company of Philips Hue. Merolla expressed his excitement about SpatialAware and its intuitive interface, which enhances the user's ability to create the desired ambience. He also highlighted the brand's focus on custom AI automations as the next step in smart lighting.

Merolla believes that AI can unlock new possibilities for consumers in a user-friendly manner, without being intrusive. He discussed three particular launches that caught his attention: the Custom AI behavior feature, which he considers a significant step towards enhancing the consumer experience; the Philips Hue Play Screen Sync, which allows synchronization of lights with TV screens regardless of the input source; and the Bridgeless concept, which enables the use of affordable lighting solutions without the need for an additional Philips Hue Bridge Zigbee hub.

Lastly, Merolla expressed his enthusiasm for the new Liane 360-degree rope light and Signe pole lights, praising their design and functionality.