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everyone wants talk to your pet. Or, at least, try to get them to listen. So it’s no surprise that some startups think that the way to break the communication barrier between you and your dog is with a big help from technology. Welcome to a world of AI dog and cat collars that attempt to interpret a pet’s needs and then share those wants 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 continues talking anyway. It looks less like the audio collar worn by the dog in the movie. Aboveand more like yelling at a chatbot tied to your dog’s neck. 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 strange new ways AI devices are bouncing around in our lives, and whether any of them are helping us have better conversations.
Additionally, this week marks 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 program. Lauren and Michael will return as hosts, but we’ll have a third co-host at the table, a new podcast title, and a new angle to our coverage.
Show notes
Stay tuned to this feed for the updated version of this program, available October 31! Read Boone’s stories about talking pet collars and the AI-powered Friend collar. Read Lauren’s story about the challenges of AI hardware. Keep an eye out for all the ways AI is integrating into our lives. For all your device needs, follow WIRED’s avalanche 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.
You can find Boone Ashworth on social media, but honestly, since he’s graduating to be a full-time reporter at WIRED, email him story tips: boone@wired.com. Lauren Goode is @laurengoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight@heads.social. Bling the main hotline at @gadget lab. The show was produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme song was Solar keys.
How to listen
You can always listen to this week’s podcast via the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get all the episodes (with a brand new show coming 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 in Spotify also. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed.