AI Breakthrough: Dolphin Communication on the Horizon

A new large language model AI system, DolphinGemma, may soon allow humans to converse with dolphins. Researchers will test if DolphinGemma and the Cetacean Hearing Augmentation Telemetry (CHAT) system can translate and mimic dolphin vocalizations. This breakthrough could be the culmination of over four decades of research and conservation efforts.

Decades of Dolphin Research

Dolphins are highly intelligent and communicative animals. The Wild Dolphin Project (WDP) has spent 40 years studying their complex social interactions. WDP has collected extensive underwater audio and video data on a community of Atlantic spotted dolphins in the Bahamas, correlating sounds with behaviors.

DolphinGemma: An AI for Dolphin Communication

Experts have long considered human-dolphin communication possible but lacked the technology. With the rise of large language models (LLMs), researchers explored applying similar principles to dolphin interactions. WDP partnered with Google and the Georgia Institute of Technology, providing a large dataset of dolphin sounds for LLM training.

DolphinGemma, built using technology similar to Google's Gemini, functions like predictive LLMs but for dolphins. It interprets audio inputs and predicts subsequent sounds for recreation. The CHAT system, installed on modified Google Pixel smartphones, helps humans convey a simplified, shared vocabulary.

Future of Interspecies Communication

The plan is to teach the Atlantic spotted dolphin community synthetic whistles for their favorite objects. Over time, experts hope dolphins will learn to request desired items. With this innovative use of LLMs, underwater conversations are becoming more attainable.