Cross-species chat

When a puppy rolls over or when a cat meows persistently, they're trying to communicate with us in their own way. Now, digital technology is stepping in to help humans understand what they mean.

A recent patent published by China's National Intellectual Property Administration reveals that tech giant Baidu is developing a system designed to decode animal communication.

This system collects sounds and movement data, uses AI to identify the animal's emotional state, and translates those signals into human language — paving the way for potential cross-species conversations.

The inventors say the inspiration came from a 2023 news report about a hunting dog attacking a child. This incident highlighted the need for better prevention and sparked the idea of using AI to recognize animal emotions and behavioral cues.

This technology could also be valuable in places like zoos and wildlife conservation. For instance, around World Dolphin Day (April 14) this year, Google unveiled "DolphinGemma", an AI model designed to enable real-time underwater communication with dolphins. Dolphins communicate using short bursts of sound called "codas", produced by pushing air through their nasal passages — functioning somewhat like Morse code.

Additionally, a recent study published in Nature analyzed nearly 9,000 sperm whale codas. The research found that whales use distinct codas based on conversational context and even proposed a "sperm whale phonetic alphabet".