everybody wants talk to your pet. Or to try to get them to listen, anyway. So it’s no wonder some startups think the way to break down the communication barrier between you and your dog is with a big helping of technology. Welcome to a world of artificially intelligent dog and cat collars that try to interpret a pet’s needs and then share those desires with their human. The only problem with these devices is that the pet won’t actually be part of the conversation, as the collar only guesses what the pet is thinking, but still does all the talking. It looks less like the audio collar worn by the dog in the movie upand more like yelling at a chatbot strapped to your dog’s collar. Meanwhile, your dog or cat may be trying to figure out where that new voice is coming from.
Later in the show, we talk about all the weird ways AI gadgets are bouncing around in our lives, and whether any of them are helping us have better conversations.
In addition, this week celebrates the final episode of the Gadget Lab podcast, at least in its current form. We will be back soon with a new reboot of the show. Lauren and Michael will return as hosts, but we’ll have a third cohost at the table, a new podcast title, and a new angle to our coverage.
Show notes
Stay tuned to this channel for the updated version of this show, coming out on October 31st! Read Boone’s stories about talking pet collars and the AI-powered Friend collar. Read Lauren’s story on the challenges of AI hardware. Stay tuned for all the ways AI is weaving into our lives. For all your gadget needs, follow WIRED’s roundup of gear coverage.
Recommendations
Boone recommends rain. Lauren recommends going for a walk. Mike recommends KEXP’s YouTube channel, where the Seattle radio station posts videos of musical acts playing in their studio.
Boone Ashworth can be found on social media, but honestly, since he’ll remain a full-time reporter at WIRED, just send him story tips: boone@wired.com. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight@heads.social. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show was produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music was by Solar Keys.
How to listen
You can always listen to this week’s podcast via the audio player on this page, but if you’d like to subscribe for free to get every episode, with a brand new show later this month, here’s how:
If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts and search for Gadget Lab. We’re also on Spotify. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed.
Transcription
Note: This is an automatic transcription, which may contain errors.
Michael Calore: Lauren.
Lauren Goode: Mike.
