Can AI Help Humans Talk to Animals? Scientists Say We’re Getting Closer to Decoding Their Communication
The idea of a device that decodes animal sounds — turning squeaks, clicks and meows into human language — has been a staple of science fiction for decades, popping up in everything from Pixar’s Up to Rick and Morty. Now, advances in artificial intelligence and technology are nudging that fantasy closer to reality, though scientists caution we are still a long way from a working “animal translator.”
Animals Are More Expressive Than We Thought
Researchers studying animal communication say many species may be far more expressive than humans previously understood, even if most cannot produce human language.
Michael Long, a neuroscientist at New York University, told Science News, “Animals are speaking — to use speaking in a very loose way — more vibrantly than we had ever given them credit for,” though he notes that fewer than 1 percent of vertebrate species have the mental and physical ability for complex vocal learning like humans.
That small percentage, however, includes some remarkable communicators.
Whales, Dolphins and Parrots Lead the Way
Dolphins, whales and parrots are often considered the most promising species for studying interspecies communication because of their vocal learning abilities.
In 2023, researchers reported decoding a humpback whale “hello” and using it to engage in a brief back-and-forth exchange with a whale in Alaska. The calls were repeated whale sounds interpreted as greetings. Other studies show whale communication may follow patterns similar to human language, raising intriguing questions about what these animals might be saying to each other beneath the waves.
Dogs Can Learn Words by Eavesdropping
Research into animal cognition is not limited to the ocean. A 2026 study found that dogs with advanced word-learning ability have a skill that puts them functionally on par with 18-month-old children: They can learn the names of new toys not only through direct instruction but also by eavesdropping on the conversations of their owners.
“They’re very good at picking up on these cues,” Shany Dror told The New York Times, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, and an author of the study. “They’re so good that they can pick up on them equally well when the cues are directed to the dog or when they’re directed to someone else.”
For the millions of pet owners who have long suspected their dogs understand more than they let on, this research offers some scientific backing.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
