Spelman Students Develop AI Tool to Help People Talk to Plants

The PlantGPT project aims to make plant care more accessible for anyone, even those without a green thumb.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Students at Spelman College in Atlanta are working on an artificial intelligence tool called PlantGPT that would allow people to communicate with their plants. The project uses sensors to monitor plant health data, which the AI then processes to provide personalized care instructions. The goal is to make plant care more accessible, even for those who don't consider themselves skilled gardeners.

Why it matters

The PlantGPT project taps into the growing trend of using technology to make traditionally intimidating tasks, like caring for plants, more approachable. By giving plants a 'voice' through AI, the students hope to empower anyone to become a successful plant parent, which could have benefits for both individual wellbeing and the environment.

The details

The PlantGPT system uses sensors embedded in the soil to collect real-time data on factors like humidity, light intensity, soil moisture, and outside temperature. This information is then processed by the AI, which generates personalized care instructions for the user. The students working on the project, Temple Dees and Jessica Obi, say they don't have green thumbs themselves, which is part of the motivation behind making plant care more accessible.

  • The PlantGPT project is currently in development at Spelman College in Atlanta.
  • The students hope to make the tool more user-friendly and potentially expand it to support larger-scale applications like local farms in the future.

The players

Temple Dees

A junior at Spelman College working on the PlantGPT project.

Jessica Obi

A junior at Spelman College working on the PlantGPT project.

Eric Thompson

The assistant director of the Innovation Lab at Spelman College, where the PlantGPT project is being developed.

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What they’re saying

“I don't know anything about plants. That's why this is perfect.”

— Temple Dees, Junior, Spelman College (cbsnews.com)

“The original idea was really rooted in this concept of 'Would the plant survive more likely if it has its own voice and agency?'”

— Eric Thompson, Assistant Director, Innovation Lab, Spelman College (cbsnews.com)

“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.”

— Jessica Obi, Junior, Spelman College (cbsnews.com)

What’s next

The students working on PlantGPT hope to continue refining the tool to make it more user-friendly and accessible, as well as explore the potential for expanding it to support larger-scale applications like local farms.

The takeaway

The PlantGPT project demonstrates how technology can be leveraged to empower people, even those without prior experience, to become successful plant caretakers. By giving plants a 'voice' through AI, the Spelman students are working to make plant care more approachable and accessible, which could have positive impacts on individual wellbeing and the environment.