🐶 Would you let AI babysit your dog?

At this point, we’re all very familiar with video meetings and the concept of “Zoom fatigue.” But research suggests we may like video chatting — at least with intense strangers.

Online coaching platform BetterUp launched a behavioral research lab in 2018.

It’s since created a massive database of Zoom conversations, called CANDOR (Conversation: A Naturalistic Dataset of Online Recordings), to analyze how we interact over Zoom and what makes someone a good conversationalist, per Business Insider.

How they did it

US-based participants, ages 18-65, had 1.6k+ conversations with randomly paired strangers. They were instructed to chat about anything for ~30 minutes, then review their partner.

Conversations were recorded and analyzed for things like loudness, nonverbal gestures, and “semantic novelty” (in this case, introducing something new to the conversation).

So, who Zooms best?

The highest-rated conversationalists had a few things in common. They:

• Spoke ~3% faster — that’s about six additional words per minute.
• Varied their volume, possibly because they were adjusting to the room.
• Nodded and shook their heads more often, signaling appropriate responses and attentiveness.
• Mixed it up, but not too much. They knew how to stay on topic, but also introduced more subject changes.
• Were more “intense,” exhibiting more emotion.

It may not be that surprising…

… that the most dynamic and engaged people scored highest, but this might be: Across all groups, people reported feeling happier after their conversations, especially those ages 50-69.

Conversations took place between January and November 2020, coinciding with pandemic lockdowns — a great time to virtually connect with a friendly stranger.

Bonus findings: Older speakers took longer speaking turns when paired with younger partners, and women were more vocally expressive with one another.

For investors, Tesla’s price cuts are kinda like parallel parking in New York City — tough to watch, impressive when nailed.

Whether the automaker has nailed its latest cuts, which Elon Musk says will “enable affordability at scale,” remains to be seen.

Driving a hard bargain

Last week, Musk assured investors Tesla remains the only automaker capable of selling cars for “zero profit” today, thanks to high-margin driverless software that will allow its cars to appreciate in value (and which was supposed to debut years ago).

• Already in 2023, the company’s Model Y has seen its price drop $20k+, or 30%, to ~$47k — $759 below that of the average US vehicle.

You’re unlikely to find anyone looking to buy a Model Y who’s going to complain about this — because that would be odd.

But head over to Wall Street, and you’ll find a whole bunch of folks questioning its impact on Tesla’s profit margins, which, while still strong at 19% in Q1, was the company’s lowest in 11 quarters.

Shifting gears

Some analysts wonder whether these cuts will challengeTesla’s competition enough that they’ll be forced to slow pricey EV pivots, or worse yet, go out of business.

• “We are trying to resist,” Luca de Meo, CEO of French carmaker Renault, recently said in regard to Tesla’s cuts.

Whatever the case: Remember, there’s always the option to get a Hongguang Mini, General Motors’ $4.5k Trojan horse that outsold Tesla’s Model 3 in China last year.

As if we needed proof that dog owners would do anything for their precious pups, the numbers back them up.

In a recent study from Ally Financial, pet parents proved their monetary commitment:

• 46% claimed to spend the same — or more — on their pets as they do on their actual human children.
• 51% said they’d take on debt to care for their pets’ health.
• 53% reported a willingness to spend less on themselves to better provide for their pets.

So it’s no wonder San Francisco-based startup Companion is confident its $49/mo. doggie au pair of a device will dispense ample treats for its investors.

What is it?

Companion is a smart device designed to serve as a playmate (and nanny, and maybe kind of a veterinarian?) for dogs.

• The stationary box features an onboard computer, AI software, and a camera.
• Owners can monitor their dog via app, while Companion employs machine learning to track dogs’ physical and emotional health through movement and routine.
• Stimulation and entertainment are offered through interactive games and obedience practice.
• And your dog is gonna need to sit — sit! — before hearing this feature: Companion has an automated treat dispenser.

Who’s a good robot? Companion wants to be

We’ll find out whether it actually is, eventually. Pre-orders recently opened, with first shipments expected to go out in summer 2024.

And, per Axios, enough cats have been enamored with the device that Companion hopes to eventually launch a “feline-oriented” product.

One caveat: None of the dogs who’ve tested Companion are as perfect as your dog, who is inarguably the best dog in the world.