AI helps humans have a 20-minute 'conversation' with a humpback whale named Twain

Posted by eDgE_031@reddit | whales | View on Reddit | 21 comments

This is so cool and I look forward to more innovations like this!

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MeepersToast@reddit

The whale introduced itself as Twain?

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Reading through this article, they didn't have a "conversation" with the whale. They played pre-recorded humpback sounds and the whale responded to them. Then they recorded the replies and are hoping to use an AI to understand what "intelligent signals" might have been in the replies. This is like playing sounds of a dog barking to another dog and then saying "look! He's talking to the recordings!"

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marglebubble@reddit

Media constantly does this with scientific discoveries I can't imagine how mad it must make actual researchers sometimes. Like an article will be like SIGNS OF LIFE DETECTED ON DISTANT PLANET and it's like actually that area just gave off some wavelengths of light that might mean carbon is there or some shit. Also I remember reading about this months ago with the same researchers and whale.

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ZakA77ack@reddit

Yeah it's the "clickbait" process and I understand why they do it, but it makes it difficult for the average person to sort through the legit discoveries and not just the foot notes getting blown out of proportion

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marglebubble@reddit

Yeah it's super annoying I've gotten to the point where I notice them immediately when I see them but still usually read them because it's still interesting without the click bait

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ZakA77ack@reddit

I make wildlife films on youtube and it's literally the only way to compete and get clicks/ views.

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amorfotos@reddit

A brain the size of a planet...

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Double_Ad_5460@reddit

Everyone go watch Fathom!

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Musclesturtle@reddit

This is misleading. AI didn't do jack shit.

They played pre recorded whale sounds, then the whale responded, and now they're hoping to advance AI dar enough to decode it.

Nothing has or will come of it.

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Mortreal79@reddit

If anything can detect patterns and make sense of it it's definitely AI, we'll see what comes out of it..!

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JKC_due@reddit

This is my Cousin’s organization! He primarily works with Sperm Whales in Dominica, but I guess he had colleagues doing Humpbacks. As others have noted, they don’t actually understand what the whales are saying yet. This is still a pretty young organization and project. They’re in it for the long run.

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WarStrifePanicRout@reddit

In a remarkable encounter off the coast of Alaska, human scientists had what they describe as a “conversation”

I wasn't sure if it was whale scientists at first I'm glad they specified.

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