🐬 Google’s AI Is Chatting with Dolphins (Yes, Really)

So, What’s Going On?

Google’s latest AI, DolphinGemma, is trying to talk to dolphins. Not metaphorically. Literally. It’s trained on over 40 years of audio and video from Atlantic spotted dolphins and can now generate dolphin-like vocalisations in the correct pitch, rhythm and tone.

Researchers at Google DeepMind, Georgia Tech, and the Wild Dolphin Project want to decode dolphin-speak and maybe—just maybe—have a basic back-and-forth conversation using a system called CHAT (Cetacean Hearing Augmentation Telemetry). So far, the AI can identify individual dolphins and mimic sounds tied to objects like scarves or seagrass. The dolphins haven’t started texting back yet, but it’s early days.

Other AI-Driven Animal Whisperers

Google’s not the only one. The Earth Species Project is trying to decode all kinds of animal communication, from zebra finches to belugas. Project CETI is focused on sperm whales, aiming to build a full-on whale alphabet. And in the UK, Rocca, an AI created at the University of St Andrews, can even detect dolphin accents. Think of it as Shazam, but for porpoises.

Why It Matters (Beyond the Wow Factor)

This isn’t just sci-fi wishful thinking. Understanding dolphin communication could help conservationists protect their habitats more effectively. That said, there are ethical caveats. Are we really interpreting their messages correctly? Could this tech disrupt their social dynamics?

Researchers insist the aim isn’t to teach dolphins English. It’s to understand them better, on their terms. That’s a big difference.

Final Thought

For now, your dreams of inviting a dolphin to brunch are still a bit premature. But Google’s work—combined with others in the field—might someday make interspecies chats feel a little less like a Pixar script and a bit more like science.