A new study suggests that dolphins may understand aspects of human language. Researchers have found that dolphins can mimic human vowel sounds. This discovery, combined with advancements in AI, could revolutionize interspecies communication.
J & J Publishing released a study titled "Novel Dolphin Vocalization." The study highlights the cognitive capabilities of dolphins and their ability to mimic sounds for communication. Dolphins can produce sounds resembling human vowels like "A, E, O, and U".
Dolphin vocalizations originate from their blowholes and air sacs. These sounds can span multiple octaves, some beyond human hearing. Researchers focused on a dolphin named Zeus, noting his spontaneous human-like vocalizations.
Lead researcher Jack Kassewitz stated that Zeus seemed determined to communicate with humans. He observed that dolphins vocalize differently when interacting with humans above water. Zeus directed his vowel sounds towards the research team, indicating intentional communication.
Google's AI model, DolphinGemma, is also advancing human-dolphin communication. Developed in collaboration with Georgia Tech and the Wild Dolphin Project (WDP), DolphinGemma identifies recurring sound patterns in dolphin vocalizations. This helps researchers understand the meaning behind different dolphin sounds.
The WDP has been analyzing dolphin sounds for decades, linking specific sounds to behaviors. For example, signature whistles are used to call calves, while burst-pulse "squawks" occur during fights. The Cetacean Hearing Augmentation Telemetry (CHAT) system is used to create a shared vocabulary.
The CHAT system associates synthetic dolphin sounds with objects dolphins enjoy. When a dolphin mimics a sound, the system identifies it and informs the researcher. DolphinGemma speeds up this process, allowing for faster responses to dolphin requests.