Al decodes animal chat

Computers are giving us the power to understand creature communication.

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Researchers are using artificial intelligence (Al) to understand other species, with the hope of being able to talk to them. Animals such as crows, dolphins and elephants communicate with members of their own species in sounds and gestures, but the subtle differences in their caws, whistles, bellows and movements are lost on humans. Machine learning is changing that. This is a type of Al where a computer system can find patterns in information and learn from experience. Last year scientists used this type of system to show that African savannah elephants and marmoset monkeys call to each other using names.

A type of machine learning, called a large language model (LLM), is being used to decode what animals are actually saying to each other. LLMs are usually used on human languages. They analyse billions of words to identify patterns and predict what word or phrase comes next in a sentence. These systems power Al chatbots and translation apps, but scientists are now using them to pick up patterns in animal communication.