As in the early days of the cloud, the definition of ambient computing is slippery, subject to revision, and more than a little aspirational. In general, ambient computing is the idea that we’ll interact with the world through a growing assortment of gadgets and sensors, many of which will be physically embedded in our environments. And we’ll interact with this technology in a growing variety of ways—from voice and gestures to simply existing in a space full of sensors that track our every action.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/computer-technology-ambient-computing-11666992784