Can we learn to talk to sperm whales? | David Gruber | TED

Animals are communicating -- but what are they saying? And can we talk back? Marine biologist David Gruber introduces Project CETI: a team of scientists, linguists and AI specialists hoping to decode sperm whale language. Using noninvasive robots and a machine-learning algorithm to collect and analyze millions of sperm whale vocalizations known as coda, the team aims to demystify the communication structures and dialects of these majestic creatures -- and possibly even crack the interspecies communication code. (This ambitious plan is a part of the Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change.)

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[Ambar]

Not kidding, learning to understand the language of sperm whales is one of the researches I'm excited for the most in today's science. Great project!

[ShinyRedGrapple]

Humans: Hello Mr. Sperm Whale, how are you?
Whale: Well for one thing, of all the names you could have gave us, you chose literally the grossest one

[RM-vwov]

Amazing. And so needed. I’m embarrassed how our species has treated our fellow species. Especially the ones that obviously have an intelligence that gives them awareness that may exceed our own in many ways. Can you imagine how much faster we’d learn about the oceans if we asked a sperm whale family?

[billyuno]

There are a number of reasons why this is important, but one of the reasons is that someday, in the distant future we may find intelligent life, but may not recognize it as such because it doesn't look like us. We will need some way to communicate with them, or at least attempt to communicate if we want to avoid conflict or exploitation.

[davidpopolizio]

The whale speaks the language of my dad in a leather chair apparently

[andreidezsi]

Hopefully progress is quick, and real impacts occur in protection, given the recent resumption of whaling...

[lolpopshuffle]

we're humans and people are intelligent yet arrogant, hopefully this study can bring our understanding to whale specifically and how not to disturb them, communication can be something some people use for itself.

[markazulislam]

If you can crack this you deserve a noble prize

[blurglide]

This would be amazing. We're out there trying to search for aliens, but we can't even communicate with whales

[Beardyvlogger]

Omg this would be so awesome. Talking to any animal in some way would be a dream. Incredible what we are doing with AI

[AlbertKimMusic]

Project CETI is going faster than ever now with the recent advancements in AI

[bianka]

Im sending my apologies on behalf of all human activities that keep ruining their habitat. Im personally terrified of big bodies of water but please tell the whales we love them❤

[koushikmaji]

Yeah! This talk provided me with enough motivation to study for my Statistics and Signal processing paper this semester.

[xanderjones]

This is amazing work, excited to see it progress.

[micliang]

Fantastic project, I wish you achieve what you dream of and beyond!

[ramandeepnijjar]

So fascinating! Thank you! As a current student hoping to study marine biology in university in the future

[negimemorandum]

Learning languages of animal is a whole new potential subject this will produce a new big living society that will include different animal species. One can imagine what the world would be.

[kanrup]

its unlikely you'd get a good reply if you try to say "hello, how are you feeling today?". I don't think other creatures communicate in exactly the same way as us, they don't live in human world and human lifestyle or human nature. but they might have a signal for "greetings", and you might get a "greetings!" back.
They might have things that evaluate to things like "I am over here", "come here", "go", "help", "up", "down", "come together", "food", "safe", "danger", "run away" etc. But it's also a question of how would the young learn those signals? E.g- birds have various signals, but there are no bird schools.
but I don't know how complex their communication ideas get. It might depend on the world and lifestyle they live in.

[geraldmerkowitz]

Holy cow imagine they tell us about their whale memes!

[filmalarmxxl]

Yes! This research is needed, urgent! What a humble lesson, this speech!