Imagine if one-day ChatGPT was joined by CatGPT – an AI-based machine that allowed us to communicate with our pet cats using meows, purrs, or hisses.
Many people wonder what AI would need to do with animals now that AI is so good at understanding human speech.
Two neurobiologists discuss in detail the answer. New essay published in Current Biology.
The Invocation to the Turing test – which provides a threshold for human intelligence in machines – Yossi Yovel and Oded Rechavi from Tel Aviv University in Israel introduce what they have coined the “Doctor Dolittle challenge”.
To overcome the three main obstacles in communicating with an animal, an AI-based large ‘language” model is required.
- The animal must use its own communication signals. The animal cannot learn new signals. A dog that responds to human commands.
- Scientists can play back known alarm calls to birds in various behavioral contexts.
- It must produce a measurable reaction in the animal, “as though it was communicating with a conspicuous [an animal similar to itself]And not a robot.”
Take honey bees, for example. It does a waggle to tell the colony where food is. Scientists have ‘hacked’ this information and Make a robot beeYou can The bee’s moves can attract other bees.You can also direct them to an area.
Doctor Dolittle’s challenge is met on the first two points. The dance is only effective in this context. Scientists can’t yet ask a honeybee what it wants, or how it feels.
Plus, even though we check all three boxes above, we might not be able speak with animals as well as many pet owners and animal lovers wish.
There may be no way of asking our cat how he feels. The human language is unique. It may not be the same as other animal languages. We are limited by our’self centered world’ or umwelt.
Ludwig Wittgenstein, the philosopher argued“Even though a lion was able to speak, we would not be able to understand it.”
If Wittgenstein’s right, “we won’t be able to ever ask [a cat]”How they feel” or explain that CatGPT means ChatGPT in French. (And that it might even be funny), WriterYove and Rechavi
The following are some of the ways to get in touch with us: Bee danceWhat did we think we knew? Yovel and Rechavi, it probably contains more information than you’ve noticed. Note:, “including subtle tactile or acoustic signs about the quality of the resources”.
The authors said that they were not certain what types of information would be required to crack the AI algorithm. Add a Comment.
Do we need to? Record electric fields, too?
It may be easier to master primate communication because it is closest to human communication. AI models still would need to be taught on an enormous amount of data which would require long term surveillance of primates. Where would the information come?
Scientists would have to determine a primates’ ‘natural response,’ which is a sign that they understood and heard the machine trying to communicate with them.
In some cases, neural recordings may help, but proving objective understanding is not always possible.
Yovel and Rechavi believe that AI will be used to improve our understanding of animal communication in the future. However, they acknowledge it may not help us communicate like Doctor Doolittle.
Neurobiologists are neurobiologists Say this:The fact is that, even if AI power “a thousand fold” increases, some of the barriers that prevent us from speaking to animals today will remain.
The researchers said that “even if we never learn to communicate with animals the way humans do, it’s fascinating to try to understand how complex animal communication can be and to mimic it.” There are many ways to get in touch with us..
“We thus call on scientists to apply AI to decipher animal communication according to the Doctor Dolittle challenge criteria… “
The essay has been published in Current Biology.
