People are using AI to make their smart TVs dumb again

Developers are utilizing AI to "dumb down" smart TVs, aiming to remove bloatware, sponsored ads, and tracking features. This movement, often termed "vibe-coding," seeks to enhance user experience by speeding up app launchers and redesigning home screens. One developer, Sabuwala, created "dumbtv" using Deepseek V4.1 Flash, Claude Opus 5.5, and Claude Sonnet 5.5, motivated by a desire to bypass ads and access content directly, and plans to expand support for more AI models.

Unlike previous methods, this approach uses AI models like Deepseek V4.1 Flash and Claude Opus 5.5 to customize smart TV interfaces, offering a new way to remove bloatware and ads.