Scientists are teaching AI to decipher animal language
Artificial intelligence can help people better understand how animals communicate with one another. Using algorithms, researchers analyze large datasets of sounds from various species and identify patterns within them that were previously difficult to detect. Scientists are already finding structures similar to “names” and “dialects.”
Scientists are looking for patterns in animal communication
Advances in artificial intelligence have transformed the approach to studying animal communication. Whereas scientists previously focused primarily on teaching animals human words or gestures, they are now increasingly striving to understand the unique communication systems of different species.
Algorithms can analyze vast amounts of audio recordings and search for recurring patterns. Researchers then compare these signals with animal behavior and the situations in which they occur.
This approach is used, in particular, to study sperm whales. They produce series of clicks that can have various combinations and variations. Scientists are trying to determine whether certain sound sequences are associated with specific behaviors or social situations.
One of the largest projects in this field is Project CETI. Its participants collect massive amounts of data on sperm whale communication and use machine learning to identify patterns within it.
So far, researchers have not claimed to have deciphered these animals’ language. The focus is on identifying patterns and testing hypotheses about the meaning of individual signals.
"Dialects" and name-calling have been identified in these animals
Similar studies are being conducted with other species.
By analyzing large datasets of vocalizations, scientists have uncovered complex patterns in bat communication. Their signals may be associated with various social situations, including conflicts, food, or resting places.
Researchers have also found regional differences in the communication of certain species. These characteristics can be loosely compared to human dialects.
The communication system of elephants has also proven to be complex. There is evidence that they may use specific sounds to address particular individuals. Researchers compare this phenomenon to the use of proper names.
Such discoveries are changing the very questions scientists ask. Now they are trying not to determine whether an animal can repeat a human word, but to understand how it conveys information to members of its own species.
Will AI Become a Translator Between Humans and Animals?
The development of large language models has raised the question of whether such technologies can be applied to communication between different species.
In theory, artificial intelligence could analyze animal signals, correlate them with behavior and environmental conditions, and then identify patterns between specific sounds and situations.
However, it is still too early to talk about a fully functional translator for the “language” of animals. Scientists have yet to determine whether the signals of different species contain complex concepts that can be compared to human language.
It also remains unclear whether animals are capable of combining signals to create new meanings. This very ability is one of the key characteristics of human language.
Humans Can Communicate with Animals Through AI
If scientists succeed in determining the meanings of a large number of signals, artificial intelligence could potentially serve as an intermediary between humans and animals in the future.
In this scenario, a person would send a message to the system; the AI would convert it into the appropriate signal; and the algorithm would analyze the animal’s response in reverse.
However, even this scenario remains hypothetical. According to Juan Cruz Balian, editor of *El Gato y la Caja*, who researches interspecies communication, humanity is closer today to understanding animals than ever before. At the same time, it is unknown whether they possess linguistic abilities close enough to those of humans to engage in a full-fledged conversation.
That is precisely why scientists are not yet talking about the possibility of literally “talking” to an animal. Instead, artificial intelligence already allows us to analyze the communication of other species on a scale that was previously practically unattainable.
If further research confirms that animal signals have a complex structure and can convey specific concepts, this could significantly change people’s understanding of the intelligence and communication of other species.
This is reported by the Argentine publication La Nación.
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