https://www.makeuseof.com/personifi-ais ... o-a-voice/
---------------------------------------Personifi AI is attempting to change the way you interact with man’s best friend. The Austin, Texas-based company’s Shazam Band, an AI-powered dog collar, is a wearable device that literally gives your dog a voice.
According to the company, the latest technology at the core of the product is called Sentience Augmentation. The tech uses both sensors and machine learning to decipher your pooch’s reasoning, psychological state, and health needs. It also allows your pet to interpret your emotional state and respond appropriately.
John McHale, CEO of Personifi AI, says, "The Shazam Band is a game-changer for the bond we share with our pets. We’ve always imagined what our pets would say if they could speak — well, imagine no more. Shazam makes that dream a reality, bringing joy, empathy, and understanding into every interaction."
The Shazam Band is an interesting device powered by a highly trained AI. With it, come visions of Dug from the movie Up, or MCU fan-favorite, Cosmo the Dog. Unlike those fictional characters, though, Personifi AI’s dog collar is 100% real.
More fascinating, however, is the collar’s feature set. It offers 27 built-in selectable personas, ranging from hard-boiled mafia boss to snarky southern belle. Plus, the Shazam Band lets your pet express themselves in several languages, including English, Spanish, Patois, and Mandarin. The device also functions as a GPS tracker and includes geofencing support. That means you won't need to worry about whether you should put an AirTag on your dog's collar.
So, what if you’re more of a cat person? Don’t worry. As long as it fits, you can also use Personifi AI’s collar with other animals. The device comes in two sizes.
The Shazam Band’s Sentience Augmentation system is also exceptionally advanced. Through the technology, your furry companion can express their feelings through a number of sound bites. So, if you’ve ever wondered if your dog was feeling sad or bored, now you can know for sure. Supposedly, the more you communicate with your beloved pet via the collar, the more natural interactions will become.
Does the Collar Actually Work?
That’s a fantastic question. And while we haven’t gotten our hands on the device just yet, a few other publications have reported that, yes, it works. CEO McHale has even been training the Shazam Band’s AI with his pup, Roscoe.
The rub, however, is that the AI device is not cheap. The wearable has a retail price of $495 or $595 depending on the size you need. To access additional voices, you’ll need to shell out another $100 per. Then there’s the $295 annual subscription fee.
It’s a lot of cash to justify a gadget that hangs on your dog’s neck. But, if you’re someone who longs to know what your pooch is really thinking, then that expense might seem worth it. On the other hand, if the cost seems excessive, you may want to check out our write-up on some other DIY pet wearables. Either way, the notion that this technology may lead to a new era of pet communication is definitely something to get excited about.
For a super reasonable entry point of $800 - $900 bucks plus another $300 a year? We're reaching felony-level huckstering here. Do we really need or want more anthropomorphic overreach? Think of the millions of "pet parents" who already think their pet communicates with them. Don't we have enough crazy cat ladies and purse size rat-dogs? Jeebus... there has to be a higher & better use for that kind of AI tech. How 'bout at the vet's office? Or the zoo. Or fighting abuse in horse racing... There's even more uses on the animal abuse front. How many more Amish sheep have to suffer? What would Filthy's neighbor's dog say? Enough to jail Roland? Think of the intel we could get from goats in the Middle East.
