Petcare? There’s an AI for that now, too: From smart collars to robotic companions, the global pet industry is starting to churn out artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for pet owners to take better care of their fur babies, according to the Washington Post. These new technologies and gadgets offer a great measure of convenience, with additional benefits such as providing insights into animal health and behavior.

Health and wellness are the leading use of AI in pet tech: Fitbit-like collars can be equipped with various sensors that monitor everything from biometrics to activity levels to monitor animal health. There are now products such as PetPace, a collar that provides real-time data and insights, allowing for proactive healthcare and nipping potential health issues in the bud. Other developing tech includes health apps like TTcare, which offers instant health analysis based on photos of your pet’s different body parts, or Snappoo, which can take a picture of your dog’s feces and also offer health analysis.

Monitoring tech + cameras have taken strides: Pet cameras, like those from Petcube, are pet-sitting sidekicks for those long days at the office. With features ranging from two-way audio to treat dispensers and laser toys, these cameras are almost a pet-savvy personal assistant at your beck and call.

On the more experimental end of the spectrum: Talking to (and understanding) your pets: There’s an app for cats called MeowTalk, where each meow is translated to a phrase such as “I am hungry” or “I am in pain.” For all dog parents, a similar platform, Zoolingua, is in the works; it currently decodes dog language and plans to decode other animal languages, too.

Even with petcare, the concern remains that the robots will replace us: There are concerns about the nature of human-animal relationships and the consequences of relying on technology, the Washington Post notes. “We might capture data that could serve a useful endeavor, but it may actually make us less likely to meet each other’s social and emotional needs,” Philip Tedeschi, co-director of the Institute for Animal Sentience and Protection said. “I can guarantee that your dog would rather play with you than a robot,” he adds.

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