Behind the new AI device lets plants talk to you
You can finally start fresh with your houseplant—thanks to a student-built gadget that gives greenery a voice.
A striking new biotech concept called PlantGPT translates subtle plant stress signals into spoken feedback. The prototype was created by a team of students at Spelman College in Atlanta and uses artificial intelligence to track plant health data, interpret it, and relay care advice in plain language.
If your fern is wilting or your pothos is struggling, the device can explain why—and what to do next. Example prompts include: “It might be time for some fertilizer to boost my growth,” or “These conditions aren’t ideal for me to thrive.” The output comes in a refined female voice with a British accent.
Project founder Grace Burch, a 2025 graduate who began developing the idea three years ago, told New York Post: “I love nature and technology. Bringing them together was a dream. Even everyday things like caring for a plant can be transformed with a simple idea.”
In a video posted on Instagram, teammates Joy Rutledge and Temple Dees described how it works. Sensors placed in the soil and environment measure moisture, light, and nutrients, then feed the readings to an AI system. When conditions drift from ideal, the plant’s “voice” alerts the owner so they can adjust watering, lighting, or feeding.
At the hardware level, a microcontroller—such as an Arduino board—collects the sensor data and sends it to the AI model ChatGPT, which generates care guidance. A text-to-speech module then vocalizes the message.
The device remains in development, but the team hopes to release an affordable consumer version soon. The group—also including advisor Phillip Thompson and students Jessica Obi and Devyn Washington—won first place in November at the AAAS & Innovation Showcase in Washington, DC, beating more than 100 participants across 19 teams.
Looking ahead, the students want to expand PlantGPT beyond houseplants to small farms and urban gardens. “We want local growers to monitor crop health in real time,” Rutledge said, “so communities can strengthen food security.”
Burch added that she hopes the project inspires more women to pursue science careers: “You really can change the world.”
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