Temperatures in Beijing can drop to 15 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, leaving stray cats in pretty dire conditions. That’s why Baidu, China’s top search engine company, invented a smart shelter to spare cats the winter’s biting temperatures. The shelter uses artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology to identify when a cat is approaching and open its door. Apart from offering the cats refuge from the cold, the shelter provides them with food, water and can also tell whether the cat is sick and needs medical attention. The AI is capable of recognizing 174 different kinds of cats, and the cameras are equipped with night vision so cats can come in at night. Although Baidu’s smart shelter appears to be a genuinely good application of artificial intelligence for stray animals, it does seem a bit biased towards cats, right?