Researchers Leverage Artificial Intelligence to Unravel the Secret of Elephantine Name-Calling, Reflecting Human Communication Practices
“Researchers use AI to explore how elephants communicate by name, like people do”
“When you go to a party, you can likely pick out the sound of your name being said — even in a noisy room. It turns out elephants might do the same thing.” Ever wondered how it feels when an elephant is called out by its name in a noisy jungle? You’re not the only one; AI is tiptoeing into that territory too.
While the rest of AI was busy helping us tag faces on social media and recommend which burger to eat next, a different group of researchers had their hands full with elephants. They were convinced that the mammoth creatures do more than just remember the path to nearby water sources.
The research was spearheaded by none other than the University of Sussex. They combined their love for elephant communication and AI to decode how elephants respond to their names. The researchers used custom-built artificial intelligence software, trained meticulously to decode the different elephant calls. The software meticulously identified the elephant name calls, sparing humans the guesswork.
Results, you ask? Wait for it. They found that elephants can almost certainly distinguish their own call signs from the background noise. Just like Tom, Dick, and Harry at that crowded pub on a Friday night. This only adds to the long list of exceptional abilities of elephants, including excellent memory, mourning their dead, and possibly, a damn good sense of humor.
This pachyderm research might seem eccentric to some. Why the giant tusk would anyone ‘waste’ precious time and money to teach AI how elephants communicate? Ah, but you see, elephants and humans have always had a bond. Understanding how they communicate can help us protect these gentle giants and their habitats much better.
So the next time you are at a party, and your friend starts mentioning AI and the latest technology, bring up AI and elephant communication. At the very least, it’ll ease you into a fascinating conversation about how the tech world is digging its heels into some seriously ‘in the field’ research.
It’s beyond just beating the competitor at the next big innovation now. It’s about venturing into unexplored territories, pulling out hitherto unknown facts and creating AI systems robust enough to understand elephantine language. So let’s give an (elephant) applause to the researchers breaching the boundaries of mundane AI applications. Lookout, the next AI breakthrough might just be in your backyard!