Are these really app-solutely crucial?

It is only a matter of time that we hand over the perception of the world around us — usually left to the five senses — to artificial intelligence (AI) judging by the number of apps designed to take over tasks that sentient humans have accomplished for millennia without help.

The debut of an app that will tell users whether meat products are fresh enough to be safe for consumption falls in this category.

While it is true that smell, texture and colour are not fail-safe indicators of freshness, common sense — that tells us not to eat anything that has been sitting raw in the refrigerator or counter for several days — has been fairly adept at keeping danger at bay so far.


Perhaps an expected lessening of the power of discernment has prompted this app.

A far more interesting app, however, is one that purports to decipher cat miaows. Felines are often portrayed as being disdainful of not only canines but also their humans, so any insight into what they actually say could change perceptions.

So far, of course, the app only decodes the ‘basic’ nine miaows from ‘I’m hungry’ to ‘I’m happy’, but its developer says it can be fine-tuned to include ‘find my toy’ and the goal is a collar to simultaneous audible translation.

But the chances are that by then, cats will figure out how to confound AI and keep their assessments and opinions private.