Nanjing · Pug
Nanjing measures attention with AI – in a pug it mostly detects snoring
Der Hündeler, Edition of Thursday, 12 November 2026 (edition 2)
What happened
AI-powered cameras are to check whether students at Nanjing University are following lectures or looking at their phones. The new “smart classroom” system has prompted protests among students. The university’s leadership is trying to calm the criticism; the NZZ describes its explanations as flimsy.
What does this mean for your Pug?
For centuries the pug lived at the Chinese imperial court, where its principal duty was to be present. Its face has worn the same expression ever since, whether it is following a lecture on constitutional law or thinking about a sausage. Software designed to tell attention from distraction would, depending on the lighting, log it as a model student or a complete write-off. It does not own a phone, which formally clears it. Should a lesson run beyond a quarter of an hour, however, it emits an audio signal that any system can classify correctly. Swiss dog schools do not, as yet, count snoring as an absence.
What you can do now: Book a seat in the front row at obedience class. It will be audible at the back regardless.