What are animals saying? 3 AI tools that could soon tell us their thoughts

Efforts to decode animal communication using artificial intelligence are gaining momentum, with researchers worldwide working on projects that could one day allow humans to communicate directly with other species. From dolphins and whales to elephants and parrots, scientists are using advanced AI tools to uncover the complex ways animals convey meaning through sound.

Decoding Dolphin Language with AI

At the forefront of this research is Google DeepMind’s project DolphinGemma, which uses a large language model trained on decades of dolphin audio. Developed in collaboration with Georgia Tech and the Wild Dolphin Project, the tool is designed to break down dolphin vocalizations, segment the sounds, and process them similarly to how human languages are analyzed. According to Drew Purves, who leads nature-related AI projects at DeepMind, this approach allows scientists to examine dolphin communication at an unprecedented scale and depth.

The goal is to not only understand how dolphins talk to each other but also to possibly recreate similar sounds and communicate back. The idea of interspecies conversation, once a far-off concept, is now being explored with tangible results.

Earth Species Project: Beyond Dolphins

Another major initiative is the Earth Species Project, a nonprofit founded in 2017 that aims to decode the communication systems of non-human species using AI. Their flagship model, NatureLM-audio, is described as the first large-scale audio-language model built specifically for animal sounds. Through this, researchers have uncovered surprising findings—such as the fact that some animals, including elephants and parrots, seem to have individual names for one another.

Co-founder Katie Zacarian emphasized that the objective is not domination or control, but rather a shift in how humans relate to the natural world. Instead of exploiting or subduing nature, the goal is to foster understanding and coexistence across species.

Project CETI and the Whale Language Challenge

Meanwhile, Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) is focused on the vocal patterns of sperm whales. These animals use “codas”—brief, rapid clicks—in structured sequences, similar to syntax in human language. Using AI to interpret these codas, researchers have found signs of turn-taking in conversations and potentially even distinct dialects. CETI has isolated specific sounds that may act as punctuation marks in whale speech. They hope to have a rudimentary understanding of whale communication by 2026.

This work draws parallels to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, as both fields involve decoding unknown languages. In fact, SETI scientists were part of a team that recorded an acoustic exchange with a humpback whale named Twain, which involved back-and-forth calls over a 20-minute period.

Limits and Implications of Interspecies Communication

While AI has opened new doors, the limits of language go beyond sound. Many species use a combination of visual, chemical, and mechanical signals that humans do not perceive in the same way. For animals like dolphins, which rely on echolocation, sound is also a visual experience. German ecologist Jakob von Uexküll’s concept of umwelt—an animal’s unique perceptual world—illustrates how challenging true translation might be.

This raises philosophical questions: if we could talk to animals, would they still be the same creatures? As theorist Stephen Budiansky once noted, understanding a lion through language might strip away what makes it a lion.

Listening to the Living World

Even without perfect translation, animals are already communicating their experiences—especially the impacts of human activity. Healthy ecosystems are full of natural sounds, while damaged ones fall silent. Noise pollution, largely from shipping and underwater mining, has steadily increased since the 1960s. Humpback whales, for instance, often stop singing when near commercial vessels, losing a vital tool for migration and mating.

Their songs, which evolve over time and span oceans, demonstrate a different understanding of space and time. Speaking whale, then, may not just be about words—it could reshape how we think about our environment and ourselves.

The promise of AI-facilitated interspecies communication is not merely a scientific curiosity. It could redefine humanity’s place in the natural world, much like the realization that Earth is not the center of the universe. Whether through dolphins, whales, or parrots, these emerging tools may one day allow us to listen—and respond—in ways we never thought possible.