So picture this, it's 2am and your dog is at it again chewing on something they really shouldn't have.
You're probably frantically googling something like,
is Sorgfa toxic? I get it. We've all seen it happen, right?
The sheer panic when someone's pet is acting strange and suddenly everyone's on high alert,
trying to figure out what's wrong. I've witnessed those moments enough with friends and family to
know how stressful they can be. It's what inspired me to drive into something I'm passionate about,
combining AI with pet health. Welcome to Data, AI Productivity and Business with a Little
Personality podcast, the show where we explore the cutting edge of business strategy, technology
and everything in between. I'm your host Mukundan Sankar. I'm an experienced data professional who
loves researching AI and demonstrating how it can be practically applied to our world.
If you ever wondered how AI is changing the game for companies or how to leverage
data for smarter decision making, you're in the right place. Today, we're diving into something
that can empower pet owners, an AI chatbot for diagnosing pet health. Even though I don't have
a pet myself, I know how much anxiety and uncertainty it can cause when a furry or scaly or feathery
family member is acting off. That's why I built this AI-powered pet health chatbot.
I'm really proud of it. It's not just a tech project to me. It's something very personal. I've
seen how it affects people I care about. I've seen these people care about their pets. It is affecting
their minds. They aren't able to bring their best self out to work or maybe to their everyday life.
They are always worried about their pet babies. What I wanted to do was just try to empower them
and maybe anybody else who is listening to this audio as well. Just see what you can do,
how you can get empowered as a pet owner. That's something I'm really hoping to do here.
Here's what I did specifically. I used GPT 3.5, which is a powerful LLM. Think of it like the
Mike Ross of AI. If you're unfamiliar with Suits, which is a popular law-based television show,
one of the lead characters in the show whose name is Mike Ross, he knows everything about
law. Once he reads a few books in a few seconds, he will be able to gather everything about the
book. That's how smart he is and that's what I would equate GPT 3.5 to be. It basically
memorizes everything there is to know about language. In this case though, it's not about
legal stuff. It's about answering health questions when pets are acting up. When I built this out,
I didn't really stop at making it smart. I wanted it to be trustworthy as well. I mean,
you get a ton of information out there and you don't know what's reliable. I made it a point
to also give you trustable websites which give you reliable information on pet health.
The information that I'm getting in this is basically coming from reliable sources like
the ASPCA and the AVMA. It's no random internet guesses, just solid fact check advice. How
does it work? Well, when something's wrong, let's say your dog has eaten a sock which seems like a
universal pet problem, you tell the chatbot and it processes your message, cross references,
trusted sources and gives you a clear response. So instead of getting bombarded with every worst
case scenario, it offers practical evidence-based suggestions. One thing to note though, the chatbot
doesn't have memory yet. So if your dog has a history of eating socks, you need to mention
that every time. But AI is still learning and while this tool is still fantastic, it's not a
replacement for the vet. It's more like a first-line of defense against the panic that happens when
your pet does something concerning. It helps you gather reliable information so that you can have
a more informed conversation with your vet. Yeah, that's what, just think about it this way that
you're going to know more when you are talking to your vet. That's always good. And I've seen
first time how helpful this could be for pet parents in my circle. Like I tried to offer the
solution to my friends and my family who have pets. So they feel more empowered. So it's not
just about reducing stress, it's about being more proactive with pet health. Now imagine if every
pet owner had access to this. We could see earlier detection of potential issues, less anxiety and a
more empowered approach to caring for our pets. So like I said, even though I don't have a pet
myself, I can absolutely see the potential here. It's an exciting step forward and I'm proud to be
a part of it, but this is just the beginning. So here's something you think about, right? How
do you think having this kind of an AI tool at your fingertips could change the way we care for our
pets? Could it lead to healthier pets, less worry for owners and fewer 2am Google searches?
It's something worth considering, or at least regards to pet health. So if you enjoyed the
episode, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an update. And hey, if you think someone else
could benefit from today's conversation, share the podcast with them. Your support helps keep
the show going and it means the world to me. I'd also love to hear your thoughts or answer any
questions you might have. So don't hesitate to reach out on the comment section or DM me at
mukundansankar.substack.com. It's m-u-k-u-n-d-a-n-s-a-n-k-a-r.sub-s-d-a-c-k.com. Thanks again for tuning in
and until next time, keep learning, keep growing and keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible.