Spelman College students developing AI tool designed to help people talk to their plants

Spelman College students are working on an artificial intelligence tool that would allow people to talk to their plants.

It's called PlantGPT, and the goal is to help anyone have a green thumb.

PlantGPT uses artificial intelligence to monitor a plant's health data. Sensors in the soil collect real-time data. The AI processes the information and creates personalized care instructions.

"I don't know anything about plants. That's why this is perfect," said Temple Dees, a junior working on the project.

"The original idea was really rooted in this concept of 'Would the plant survive more likely if it has its own voice and agency?'" said Eric Thompson, the assistant director of the Innovation Lab at Spelman College.

Plant GPT can only handle certain questions.

"Humidity, light intensity, soil moisture, and its outside temperature," said junior Jessica Obi.

Although Obi and Dees both claim not to have green thumbs, they have big plans for Plant GPT that go beyond simple houseplants.

"There's a bunch of sensors going on right now, so for the average user, this is not really convenient for anyone, so we want to compartmentalize all of that and make it more accessible and easier for a user to use," said Obi. "We do also want it to expand potentially for local farms, so a group of multiple plants as  well, so any environment where the caretaker would need to know the stats and information about their plant."

"You deal with a million different ideas, and to see the students supporting each other and also imagining what their futures can be in the space, and working on ideas that are way ahead of their time. I always leave this place with a sense of pride," said Thompson.

Obi and Dees hope to pursue careers in computer science. In the short term, the project may get them to make their own lives a bit greener.

"Maybe I'll get my own plant once everything is finished with this," Obi said.