Now that she’s working from home as part of measures to contain the spread of coronavirus in New York City, Patty Lynch, 43, has plenty of time to watch her dog, Sadie. When she’s away from her Battery Park apartment, she uses a Google Nest to keep an eye on her. Ms. Lynch originally bought the camera three years ago to stream video of Sadie while she recovered from surgery.

“I get alerts whenever she moves around,” Ms. Lynch said.” I also get noise alerts if she starts barking at something. I’ll be able to go in and then see her in real time and figure out what she’s doing.”

“Sometimes I just like to check in on her,” she said. “I just look at her and she makes me smile.”

Lionel P. Robert Jr., associate professor at the University of Michigan’s school of information and a core faculty member at Michigan’s Robotics Institute, said A.I.-enabled technology has so far centered on the owner’s need for assurance that their pet was OK while they were away from home.

He predicted that future technology would focus more on the wellness of the pet.

“There are a lot of people using these cameras because when they see their pet they feel assured and they feel comfortable. Right now, it’s less for the pet and more for the humans,” he said.

“Imagine if all that data was being fed to your veterinarian in real time and they’re sending back data. The idea of well-being for the pet, its weight, how far it’s walking.”

Mr. Robert noted that other parts of the world had gone a step further with technology: “They’re actually adopting robotic pets.”