Trips to the vet could become a thing of the past, thanks to a new AI-driven app that promises to diagnose ailments in your pet using photographs taken on your phone.
AI is really the buzzword of the year, though artificial intelligence has had a bad rap of late due to copyright controversies and Adobe coming under fire for using customers' images to train the technology.
However, Korean company AI for Pet is putting the tech to good use with TTcare – a mobile app that can assist pet owners in recognizing and diagnosing potential health issues, using AI analysis on images of a pet's eyes and skin taken on a camera phone.
• The best pet camera to keep an eye on your pooch
The app will upload and analyze these images against the AI database and its learning models to produce results that Ai for Pet claims to be over 90% accurate. The app can diagnose issues with eye health, skin health and joint health, then provide further steps on preventative care or if medical help is required.
If the app diagnoses a more serious issue, pet owners can also join virtual consultations with qualified vets through the app, to ask questions and receive options on care – including in-person vet visits in their local area. You can get an idea of how the app works in the below video:
Beyond the AI diagnosis, the app also offers a place to log and track pets' overall health. Owners can record previous and upcoming vaccination dates, log their pet's weight and nutrition, as well as respiratory rates from vet visits. Owners can also find resources to learn more about what their pet's stool might be saying about their health.
The app also offers a lot more tips from animal health experts, video guides for caring for your pet, and what to do in cases of health emergencies or if your pet goes missing.
We have seen some AI diagnosis software before for human subjects, but also for the botanical world, with the App Store and Play Store chock full of apps promising to diagnose what ails your houseplants. We have tried several AI apps to diagnose why our plants are not surviving the miserable British winter, with limited success.
We don't know how accurate and reliable the new AI system is, as thankfully at the time of writing we have no sick pets to test it out on! However, it was an Innovation Awards Honoree at CES 2023 earlier this month, which attests to the tech's potential.
You can try it out for yourself for free for the first three scans. After the initial trial, prices are $4.99 (approximately per month or $49.99 annually.
Interested in learning more about AI? You can read our guide to what is an AI camera and how it is changing photography. Or learn everything you need to know about AI image generators and if they are the future of content creation.
