Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
What if humans could one day have a conversation with a whale, ask a dolphin what it is sensing, or better understand what a bird is trying to communicate? That idea, long confined to science fiction, is beginning to look less far-fetched due to advances in artificial intelligence. Researchers are using artificial neural networks, the same architecture behind ChatGPT, to analyse vast amounts of animal sounds and behaviour data, uncovering communication patterns that humans could never detect on their own.
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AI uncovers hidden patterns in animal communication
Recent breakthroughs have been reported across multiple species, including mice, dolphins, great apes, birds, whales, and even cuttlefish. AI systems are helping scientists identify distinct call types, vocal signatures, and complex patterns that may carry meaning within animal groups.
One example comes from research on African striped mice, where scientists analysed more than 122,000 vocalisations and identified several distinct types of calls. Similar AI-powered efforts are underway to study dolphins, whales, birds, and primates.
The quest to understand whale language
Among the most ambitious projects is the effort to decode sperm whale communication. Researchers are using machine learning to analyse millions of whale clicks, known as “codas”, to determine whether they contain structures similar to words, dialects, names, or even forms of grammar.
Recent studies suggest whale communication may be far more complex than previously thought.
Could AI help humans communicate with animals?
Scientists are also exploring whether AI can move beyond understanding animal communication and eventually enable two-way interaction. Organisations such as the Earth Species Project and Project CETI are using large AI models to search for hidden patterns in animal sounds and investigate whether meaningful exchanges between humans and animals could someday become possible.
Project CETI is also examining the legal and ethical implications that might arise if humans become better able to understand animal communication.
A major challenge still remains
However, researchers caution that decoding animal communication is not the same as translating human language. Even if AI can identify patterns and meanings, animals experience the world very differently from humans, making true interspecies communication a significant scientific challenge.
Still, scientists believe AI is bringing humanity closer than ever to understanding what other species are saying and, perhaps one day, responding in a way they can understand.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
