From whales to crows, artificial intelligence makes animals talk – Libération

Indications of migrations in cetaceans, first names in elephants… For several years, scientists have been using artificial intelligence to combine global data on animal language. With the aim of better decoding it, in the hope of saving biodiversity.

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This scene has been observed in several forests around the world. Well propped up on her branch, a mother orangutan is quietly delousing her youngest when furtive crunching noises attract her attention. She immediately imposes silence on her baby while a tiger appears right at the foot of their tree. The feline lingers a little before continuing on its way. The mother always remains silent: she waits until the predator is far away before explaining to her offspring the danger that has just come close to them.

“What is incredible is that the mother explains the situation to her little one about ten minutes after the tiger passes. So she speaks to him in the past tense!” An expert in fundamental computer science and machine learning, Olivier Pietquin never ceases to be amazed as a corner of the veil is lifted on animal communication. “Orangutans do not seem to be the only ones to speak in the past tense, he adds. Dolphins are believed to communicate with each other about missing dolphins. In other words, they evoke their memory.

Professor at the University of Lille, Olivier Pietquin currently works as director of artificial intelligence research for the Earth Species Project (ESP). Within this non-profit organization born in 2018 in Berkel