🦾 Groundbreaking A.I. Tech is Sweeping the Pet World

In Today’s Email:

• The A.I. Roundup sweeping the Pet Industry.

• Dogs on Jeopardy: Can you close the category?

• “The Squeeze” aka The Internet’s Best Dog News in 60 seconds.

• The Last Laugh: What we’re laughing with. Not at.

Man’s Best Friend Might Need A System Update Soon

A.I. is finally here and boy, is it moving fast. We’re not just talking about A.I. art — we’re talking about the real stuff…we’re talking about the real-world applications that can genuinely improve and save lives.

From wearables that can predict diseases before any doctor to agricultural advancements that will revolutionize the farming industry and now, serious capital is being put into the myriad ways that artificial intelligence can benefit our best friends.

These innovations aren’t stopping anytime soon. Here are some of the key sectors in A.I. Pet innovation:

• Physical Health Monitoring - A.I.-powered devices and wearables with the ability to monitor vital signs such as heart rate, body temperature, and respiratory rate, as well as track activity levels and sleep patterns.

• Mental Health Monitoring - A.I.-powered cameras can analyze a pet’s behavior and facial expressions to determine if they are experiencing stress or anxiety. This can be particularly useful for pet owners who work long hours and are unable to spend as much time with their pets as they would like.

• Training & Enrichment - A.I.-powered training devices offer a more efficient and effective approach to training than more traditional and time-consuming methods, using algorithms to analyze a pet’s behavior and provide real-time feedback. This can help pet owners train their pets more quickly and with greater success, ultimately leading to a stronger bond between pet and owner.

• Pet Care - A.I.-powered pet feeders can analyze a pet’s eating habits and adjust portion sizes accordingly, helping to prevent overeating and obesity. Similarly, A.I.-powered toys can adapt to a pet’s play style and preferences, providing a more engaging and interactive experience for pets.

It’s all pretty exciting IMO. So we decided to put together a rundown of some recent developments that you might wanna keep your paws on…

The Promising A.I. Tools That Can Save Your Dog’s Life

Pet owners are early adopters of anything shown to benefit the health and well-being of their pet, especially in the vet field. According to a recent Forbes article on the subject:

“Historically, pet owners have catalyzed shifts in the veterinary industry. They quickly embraced data analytics to study their pets’ health, with GPS tracking and health monitoring technologies becoming increasingly popular. Modern pet owners influenced better appointment scheduling software and more billing solutions in veterinary practices as well as increased the demand for 24/7 telemedicine services. Now, many are pushing for A.I..”

Case in point: A recent twitter thread went viral where some guy used ChatGPT to save his dog’s life.

The article goes on to discuss several innovations in the field of veterinary medicine that are already redefining how we take care of our pets:

• VETSCAN IMAGYST is a first-of-its-kind tool by Zoetis that uses image recognition to effectively identify parasite infections. 

• SignalPET, which uses machine learning to analyze radiographic tests and identify common diseases.

• Generative A.I. - These tools can provide automated diagnoses and create personalized medicine recommendations based on specific breed traits. If an untrained A.I. could accurately diagnose conditions based on blood work patterns, just imagine the diagnostic capabilities of an A.I. trained on millions of pet health records.

FINALLY! iPhone Launching Facial Recognition for Pets

How many times have you wanted to use that new filter but the app doesn’t recognize your dog? Well, for me it’s like 100x every day, but thankfully, the upcoming iPhone iOS 17 update will integrate technology that finally allows your phone’s camera to recognize your dog’s face. 

The applications for this don’t just stop at your photo album or TikTok filter. With pet facial recognition tech right in the palm of your hand, this enables app developers to integrate that software into apps that can effectively recognize and monitor physical and behavioral changes in your pet.

Apple’s Pet Tracking & Monitoring Software

Apple is doubling down on pets with plans to turn your iPhone into a pet monitor. According to The Verge:

“Apple has a new development framework that can be used to turn your iPhone into an autonomous pet-tracking camera. According to documentation on Apple’s website, developers can use pet-tracking features with motorized phone stands to capture and follow your pet around your house while you’re not home.”

The applications for this are pretty wide-ranging and are sure to put a nail in the coffin of a lot of standalone monitoring tech currently in the marketplace.

Developers can then use something called the Animal Body Pose API (application programming interface), “which is capable of identifying and tracking animals with your phone’s camera. to identify a pet’s pose, too, including if your pet is sitting down, standing up, or begging for food.”

The Boston Dynamics’ Robot Dog

Boston Dynamics' robot dog, Spot, can now open doors, showcasing its improved capabilities. This advancement represents a significant milestone in the field of robotics and demonstrates Spot's enhanced dexterity and problem-solving skills.

With potential applications in various industries, such as manufacturing, construction, and emergency response, Boston Dynamics continues to push the boundaries of robotic technology, expanding the potential uses of robots like Spot in real-world scenarios. And if nothing else, it’s pretty effing cool.

A Smart(er) Way To Play Fetch

Smart pet accessories brand Uahpet just unleashed what they think is a game-changing new dog ball launcher, which incorporates automobile-level radar technology to redefine safety standards.

“The Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance feature, typically found in advanced automotive systems, ensures dogs are clear of the launching path. Meanwhile, the Intelligent ToF Radar Detection enhances obstacle detection accuracy, offering a fully automated ball launcher experience with balls fired within a 30-degree serving zone.”

This is a great device for those pet parents that might not have a lot of time to play with their dogs, or might need a temporary babysitter. Would I want a device playing with my dog instead of me? Not really…but if I need to run an errand, and keep my dog busy (within an enclosed yard) this thing is perfect.

Final Thoughts:

All the data has shown that we spend a lot of time with and money on our pets. So the early players in Pet A.I. are gonna make money hand-over-fist if they’re first to market with a product that can solve pet-parent problems.

I will gladly throw money at innovative technology that empowers me with more information to take better care of my dog. So it’s a really exciting time to be a pet parent.

Overheard In The Apartment Next Door:

“Alexa…sit. ALEXA! SIT! Ugh, she never listens to me.”

- Debbie, Apt. 6G, Brooklyn, NY

“Pets on Film” on Jeopardy

Can you close the category?

“The Squeeze”: Dog News In 60 Seconds

• 🎥 Cute, but no thanks: Thailand opens the world’s first dog-friendly movie theater.

• 🎥 Here are the 10 Best Dog Movies on Netflix.

• 💰 Gamerant on why Minecraft needs to update its cats and dogs. Agreed.

• ❌ HUGE ears and hairless legs?! Ai envisions what dogs could look like in the future.

• 🍔 Cesar, the pet food brand, has launched a grant to help workplaces go dog-friendly.

• 😔 Ruh roh: Supreme Court sides with Jack Daniels in Dog Toy Case

• 🗣 Pete Davidson tells off PETA in leaked voicemails.

• 🪦 Wait…you can be buried with your pet?? In some states, yes.

• 👨‍🦳 Anderson Cooper learns the science behind his dog’s personality.

• 🏛️ The Walt Disney Family Museum Presents: Disney Cats & Dogs

• 😛 Lap it up! This dog now holds the Guiness Record for the World’s Longest Tongue!

• 💪🏼 A guy brought his 6-month old puppy to the gym and then people went nuts on Reddit.

• 🐺 For the first time ever, a wolf-dog hybrid is confirmed in India.

Today’s Last Laugh: