A startup company based in China claims to have invented an AI-powered device that can translate a pet’s behavior and vocalizations into human speech.
Pet translator apps have been around for years, but are usually only intended for humor and entertainment, with no real science behind them. However, Chinese startup Meng Xiaoyi, based in Hangzhou, has claimed that their new pet translator device genuinely works.
The company started accepting preorders for the device at the beginning of May, and have since revealed that 10,000 units have been reserved by pet owners thus far.
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The device explained
The AI translator costs 799 yuan (roughly $118). According to the company, it is powered by Alibaba Cloud’s Qwen language model, which uses accumulated voiceprint data that tracks animals’ anatomical and behavioral traits.
It is worn around the pet’s neck, and can allegedly recognise their behavior, vocalizations, and emotions, and translate them into human speech, with an accuracy rate near 95%.
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However, the company has faced some skepticism owing to the fact they haven’t yet published any data or studies to support their claims of the device’s capabilities.
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Regardless, the company received the equivalent of $1 million from early investors, potentially serving as evidence of their confidence in the idea and potential, but not necessarily proof of the technology working exactly as claimed.
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