You may think you know your pet, but what if they could actually talk to you? Well, veterinarian Jess French thinks we could be communicating with animals sooner than we expected, and that it could be “one of the biggest, most exciting technological advances in the next few decades.”
Speaking to BBC Science Focus during the Cheltenham Science Festival, French said that humans prioritise visual stimulus – whereas for many other animals, other senses like smell and sound are stronger.
She said we could train artificial intelligence (AI) to understand animal communication better than we can, using thousands of available data points and hours of footage of animal interactions.
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In the future, French thinks this could revolutionise taking your dog to the vet. While the advancement is unlikely to translate what your pup’s thinking into human words, it could bypass the need for a human mediator and pick up on signals that we’re just not able to see. Think Dr Dolittle, but with less chit-chat.
“It will give us a view of that interaction that we would never be able to appreciate just with our own [senses],” French said. “It’s going to capture all of this information that, even if we were trained really well, we’re just not equipped to understand.”
She added: “I can’t wait to see what the veterinary practice of 2050 looks like. It’s going to be a really different place.”
Can animals even talk?
There is precedence for animal communication. Already, we know that creatures like whales, bats, parrots and, recently, elephants have names for things – like each other or their families.
But AI could be the missing step between them ‘talking’ and us being able to understand.
Some of the problems with humans deciphering their messages include establishing what is just background noise, plus separating the sounds made by different individuals. That's where AI comes in.
New technologies are better at singling these noises out and analysing them – and can do so much quicker than humans sifting through decades’ worth of footage can.
AI could also be better equipped at locating sounds above and below the human hearing range, like bats’ echoes, French said. What’s more, there’s the possibility that an AI-based sensor could identify messages in smells – a skill that is far beyond our less-developed smelling capabilities.
“If we have a technology which can amplify our ability to perceive those signals, we’re going to start to be able to receive the messages that they are giving out,” she said.
Which animals will be the best to communicate with through AI?
Because we co-evolved with dogs we already know a lot about how they communicate. But French suggested that AI-enabled communication could help us also understand prey animals like rabbits.
“Rabbits are really good at hiding the way they’re feeling because they don’t want predators to know they’re injured. So being able to understand in different ways what’s going on with them might be useful.”
Similarly, AI could help us learn the ‘language’ of species with which we haven’t had a domestic relationship for as long – like snakes or fish.
But what about cats? According to French, our feline friends could already be one step ahead of us. While their communication may not be as sophisticated as that of pack animals like dogs (because they don’t need it as much to survive), she believes an AI could be more sensitive to understanding body language and signals that are already there.
Research shows that they already change their vocalisations when communicating with kittens and humans. “We're trying to work out how to communicate with them, but they've already gone that step and language to try and communicate with humans.”
French said that this “mind-blowing” advancement could help us learn about animals all over the world. But she pointed out that they might communicate some things we may not want to hear.
“Can you imagine hearing first-hand an account from an animal whose family and environment have been destroyed by humans? In that respect, I’d love it to come sooner, so that people can hear those messages."
About our expert
Jess French is a veterinary surgeon, zoologist and children's TV presenter, including on BBC's CBeebies. In addition to her veterinary and media work, French writes educational books for children, including her latest The Animal Body Book: An Insider's Guide to the World of Animal Anatomy.
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