Google Pet Memory: AI that can't even recognize your pets

Google introduced Pet Memory, a new feature for Gemini for Home. The idea was brilliant: use Nest Cams to identify and track our pets. It was supposed to cut down on useless notifications, only signaling the important stuff.

Anyone with pets and security cameras knows the notification deluge. Every shadow, every movement triggers an alert. Google's system, announced for Nest Cams, promised to fix this. It was meant to recognize individual pets, learning their names. Google introduced the Pet Memory feature for Gemini for Home, which integrates with Nest Cams.

Basically, it was supposed to be a baby monitor for our furry companions. But, as often happens with AI promises, reality was a bit different. The Verge's experience showed a rather spectacular failure.

The Verge's tester, who owns three cats, tried out the system. Despite the promises, Pet Memory failed to identify any of his felines. Notifications remained generic or, worse, absent when they were actually needed.

The Nest Cams, supposedly the pinnacle of home surveillance, didn't do their job. Google's AI didn't learn the cats' names. It failed to distinguish one animal from another, or even an animal from an inanimate object.

Imagine having three cats, all registered, and the AI mistakes them for "guests" or, even worse, ignores them entirely. What good is a "smart" system if it doesn't even know who your furry housemates are? Maybe the AI needs more zoology lessons.