Dog-to-English translator could help us understand our pets


A dream come true: scientists are planning to make a new AI that will allow humans to talk to their pets. Starting with a dog translator, this tech should help humans communicate with their pets better.

In the future, this tech may even expand to other animals. However, it may be hard for AI to understand what something like a goldfish is saying.

Will man finally communicate with dogs?

It looks like there are a lot of scientists who really want to use a dog translator on their fur babies. One set of scientists is working on a mobile app with Zoolingua that will translate the body language and barks of these canines into English.

This sounds like a fairly ideal way to communicate with our canine companions, especially since we’re always using our phones. But this isn’t the only product aimed at translating pet-speak.

Another set of scientists in South Korea is hoping to make an AI-powered collar that can analyze the barks made by dogs and tell us their emotional states. Obviously, that’s not as handy as having a mobile app but this still beats wondering what’s wrong with our dog before going to the vet.

Progress still has to be made for this fantasy to come true, as no release dates for these dog communication devices have been announced. Still, you know that dog lovers will immediately go for these tech items the moment that they become available.

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First, your dog, then, your cat?

Female First reports that a dog translator might just be the first step, as there are plans to communicate with other animals. That makes sense since not everyone is a dog lover; they might prefer horrifically mean beings like cats and that’s just fine. We also know that some pet owners like having bugs or snakes.

Aza Raskin, the founder of the California firm Earth Species Project, had this to say: "We're species agnostic. The tools we develop can work across all of biology, from worms to whales."

It would be cool if we could all channel our inner Eliza Thornberry and actually speak with all these animals. Obviously, dogs will be the first animals we would want to speak with since they are such good pals.

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