Explaining automations in IoT settings

Automation systems are increasingly present in our everyday environments, driven by the availability of a growing number of sensors and connected devices. However, users often struggle to understand or control these systems due to a lack of clear understanding of their behaviour, especially when multiple automations are active simultaneously. This paper explores effective strategies for delivering explanations in such settings by comparing two interaction modalities: visual and conversational. This paper presents an approach to addressing such issues and a mixed-method, within-subjects study involving 16 participants that has provided valuable insights for the design of more transparent and explainable automated systems.