Researchers have identified new elements of whale vocalizations that they propose are analogous to human speech, including vowels and pitch.
Scientists Have Reported a Breakthrough In Understanding Whale Language::Researchers have identified new elements of whale vocalizations that they propose are analogous to human speech, including vowels and pitch.
Not only did the AI predict elements of whale vocalizations already thought to be meaningful, such as clicks, but it also singled out acoustic properties.
This is an amazing use of machine learning models.
Imagine if we managed to make a translator for the speech of an animal, knowing what they say and being able to say something back. Literally speaking with animals. That would have been so amazing and revolutionizing.
I dont think its great or anything, a bit of a gimmick. Really, the most decoded animal language is probably prairie dogs, but I've not heard of anyone trying to make a translator for it.
I share this understanding with you and this is why I say that AI will absolutely kill us because that is what we would do. It's trained on our data afterall.
They probably have nothing interesting to say anyway. After a year or two all the scientists will be like "I fucking know you like krill, whale. Shut the fuck up about the krill already".
[Arthur Dent] learned to communicate with birds and discovered that their conversation was fantastically boring. It was all to do with wind speed, wingspans, power-to-weight ratios, and a fair bit about berries.
-- Douglas Adams, 'Life, the Universe, and Everything.
If complete mutually intelligible communication of complex ideas with another species is undeniably proven, that will be a massive boon for veganism(although of course not all animals are equal), and a legal quagmire. What do you do if they are suffering in ways that we can fix due to their environment? Like humans were, and then we changed our environment. Do you give whales weapons so they can defend themselves from orcas? Do you shoot whale pochers? Do you shoot orcas attacking whales? Do you farm krill for them to eat? Do you drastically alter the ocean surface to be more comfortable for whales?
After all, most people recognize it as good to alter a person's natural state(hunting and gathering from caves) for the better, so would that not be the same for animals that are considered essentially people or near-people?
We don't even treat other humans on earth with dignity and respect and you think anything will change for whales as drastically as you propose? Maybe I'm mega jaded but I see this having little impact.
What is this idea about not eating non-humans I communicate with. I speak with my plants too and they entertain complex thought. Do I have to stop eating them? There is nothing out there that isn't a person. Continue eating as you see fit and be kind to the living.
It wasn't a great show and I didn't binge watch it, but I'm glad I ignored all the hate about it I read eventually. I really liked the drone defection plotline and the whale episode I feel is up there with some of the best Black Mirror stuff.
There was very much morale ambiguity of the "good" characters as well, it wasn't all pro-environmentalist guys are all heroes, there was definitely eco-terrorism.