Hear, kitty, kitty: There’s no denying Americans love their furry, feathered, and finny friends. According to Statista, an astounding 66% of U.S. households share their home with a pet. Can the current artificial intelligence explosion open the floodgates to understanding the wants and needs of our companion animals? AI expert Hassan Taher thinks so.
“The advent of AI technology is opening unprecedented doors to decoding animal communication. While traditional Western science has been hesitant to attribute intentional communication to animals, recent AI breakthroughs are ushering in a new era of understanding,” Taher shared in a blog post.
“Deciphering animal vocalizations has immense implications for conservation efforts and welfare initiatives. It also promises to alter our own self-perception.”
Hassan Taher Has Something To Crow About
In his study of AI’s applications for animal language, Hassan Taher draws inspiration from the New Caledonian crow, a bird native to the islands of New Caledonia in the Pacific that crafts wooden tools from tree branches in the rainforest. A sure sign of intelligence, toolmaking was once thought to be the sole domain of human beings. Even more remarkable, scientists have tied marked variations in crow toolmaking characteristics to different vocalization “dialects” among different crow groups.
Wrote Taher: “For years, scientists like Christian Rutz, a behavioral ecologist at the University of St. Andrews, U.K., have been unraveling the mysteries of animal behavior, shedding light on the sophisticated social dynamics and toolmaking abilities of creatures like the New Caledonian crow. These revelations led to inquiries into overlooked animal capacities, such as dialects among crow groups, which may hold the key to understanding cultural variations in toolmaking.”
If a humble crow can make tools and communicate in highly meaningful ways, what other animals might possess levels of intelligence that begin to approach those of people? If we want a satisfying answer to this question, Taher believes AI tools will most likely deliver it. “As we delve deeper into the world of animal cognition,” he wrote, “the rise of artificial intelligence is poised to revolutionize our perception of animal communication.”
Hassan Taher: ‘AI Can Actually Make the World a Better Place’
A native Texan born to an engineer and a math educator, Taher embraced the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning at a very early age. He also developed a strong love for the novels of prominent science fiction writers such as Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke, both of whom had a lot to say about the tremendous opportunities (as well as the lurking threats) that go hand in hand with AI.
The Hassan Taher of today is an AI thought leader for the next generation, weighing the same pros and cons that his heroes Asimov and Clarke weighed many decades ago. “I believe that AI technology has the potential to bring about significant positive change in the world, but many people are hesitant to embrace it fully,” Taher told IdeaMensch. “While some may disagree, I believe that with responsible use, AI can actually make the world a better place for everyone.”
The rapid evolution of AI technology is breaking new and exciting ground for all types of scientists who strive to decipher the “language” of animals. As just one example among many, Earth Species Project co-founder Aza Raskin has tremendous confidence in the ability of AI to decode the vocalizations of crows and sperm whales, among other animal species.
To place the enormous potential of these animal language AI tools in perspective, Taher makes an analogy to the telescope in the field of astronomy. “The parallels between the invention of the telescope, which revealed Earth’s position in the universe, and AI’s potential to reshape our understanding of animals are striking.”
As another example of AI’s transformative potential in this area, Taher highlights the innovative work of Ottawa, Canada’s Carleton University scientist Shane Gero. Over the past 20 years, Gero has been studying the multifaceted and nuanced social groups and vocalizations of sperm whales, determining that these animals use specific vocal patterns called codas to identify one another across vast distances.
Powered by AI, neural networks played a prominent role in the analysis of these codas and the discovery that they’re entirely unique and attached to individual whales. Now, scientists look forward to the next highly ambitious challenge: to create machines that can teach themselves to “speak whale” by imputing and analyzing the massive number of whale vocalizations that span the world’s oceans.
The future applications of AI in the burgeoning field of animal language analysis are comprehensive and profound. However, Taher certainly doesn’t shy away from the more difficult and controversial aspects of AI. “AI’s power to find patterns does not necessarily equate to deciphering meaning, and this poses challenges,” he contended. “The lack of transparency in AI algorithms makes it difficult to validate their conclusions.”
Furthermore, Taher admits that ethical issues are bound to emerge as scientists attempt to understand the communication of animals. “The potential misuse of AI in commercial industries and by poachers raises alarms,” he wrote. “Striking the right balance between technological innovation and ethical responsibility becomes imperative.”
Scientists are currently wrestling with the massive undertaking of defining AI’s role in deciphering and understanding various forms of animal language. “Yet, the ultimate goal is not just to replicate animal sounds but to empathize with their experiences,” Hassan Taher shared. “Despite our physical differences, humans share basic forms of communication with other animals. Understanding these shared experiences might lead to the discovery of universal expressions across species, transcending language barriers.”
No matter how you might feel about the use of AI to gain insights into animal communication, the process has already begun, and its value is already apparent. “In a world where AI bridges the gap between species, the true value of communication lies in our ability to relate to others, fostering a deeper connection with the natural world,” Hassan Taher wrote. “It is a journey that promises to expand our horizons and, in the process, deepen our connection with the natural world, reminding us that we are part of a greater tapestry of life on Earth.”
Also read: The Importance of Strategic Data Analysis: 5 Lessons from Investment Intelligence