Member-only story

Please Do Not Tell Me What My Pets Are Thinking

Our relationship is working just fine, thank you.

Will Leitch
5 min readAug 30, 2022

Do you want to know what your pets are thinking? I mean, really know what they’re thinking? I do not think you do. I do not think this is information that’s going to help in any way.

In a funny, smart piece for The New York Times, writer Emily Anthes explores a new app called MeowTalk, which promises to use AI technology to translate your cat’s sounds into human language. This sounds a little bit — a lot bit, actually — like a scam put together by enterprising tech moguls to separate lonely people from their money, but, while she’s appropriately skeptical, Anthes notes that there’s a little more to it than that:

In a 2019 study, Stavros Ntalampiras, a computer scientist at the University of Milan, demonstrated that algorithms could automatically distinguish between the meows that cats made in three situations: when they were being brushed, while waiting for food or after being left alone in a strange environment. MeowTalk, whose founders enlisted Dr. Ntalampiras after the study appeared, expands on this research, using algorithms to identify cat vocalizations made in a variety of contexts.

The app detects and analyzes cat utterances in real-time, assigning each one a broadly defined “intent,” such as…

The author made this story available to Medium members only.
If you’re new to Medium, create a new account to read this story on us.

Or, continue in mobile web

Already have an account? Sign in

Will Leitch
Will Leitch

Written by Will Leitch

Author seven books, including “How Lucky” "The Time Has Come" and "Lloyd McNeil's Last Ride." NYMag/MLB. Founder Deadspin. https://williamfleitch.substack.com

Responses (14)

Write a response

Most popular pets are social creatures, so it's wrong to think that they don't regard us as pack members, companions and protectors, just as much as we regard them as family members. Dogs and cats have companionship needs just as they have food and…

39

I just read about the guy with an alligator for an emotional support animal. If I were him, I'd sure want to know what the gator was thinking. Specifically, when he's hungry and when he's angry.

56

I have cats. I know what they are thinking. It can basically be summed up as "I want" what ever is in their line of sight. Occasionally I get lucky and what they want is pets and snuggles even if it is on their terms.

Oh but they are adorable.

I…

50