BarkGPT’s mission is to elevate the bond between humans and their canine companions by transforming communication through AI, and their vision is to lead the way in canine AI technology to foster happier, healthier, and more fulfilling relationships between dogs and their owners. BarkGPT is a never-before-seen web and app-based tool that uses natural language processing and machine learning to translate recordings of a dog's barks into human language. Dog owners simply record their pet barking, upload the recording to the BarkGPT website or app, and the machine learning algorithm analyzes the barks and immediately provides the translation in text. Founded in Boston, in 2022, the young start-up’s product utilizes and integrates OpenAI language models and advanced natural language processing capabilities.

BarkGPT founder and CEO, Alexandra Setter, always loved dogs, and was fascinated by their behavior. As a professional dog walker—putting herself through college and grad school, she spent hours observing and interacting with dogs, constantly attempting to decipher their barks and body language. After studying computer science and natural language processing at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and while studying artificial intelligence and machine-learning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Alexandra was determined to find a solution to translate barking. After countless hours of research, and experimenting with machine learning algorithms, she developed the prototype for BarkGPT while she was still working on her doctorate at MIT. With the support of a small team of developers and investors, Alexandra launched the web and app based tool, BarkGPT at the end of last year. 

The response was overwhelmingly positive, with dog owners across the U.S. eager to try out the new technology. BarkGPT is now committed to expanding its reach.

Alexandra Setter states, “Combining my love for dogs and passion for technology, I am proud to have created BarkGPT. Developing the machine learning algorithm for BarkGPT was an incredibly challenging process for our team, that required a significant amount of time, effort, and expertise. However, despite all the challenges, the satisfaction of seeing the impact BarkGPT has on the lives of dogs and their owners makes it all worth it. We remain dedicated to improving communication and strengthening the bond between dogs and humans.”