Using machine learning, MIT CSAIL and Project CETI researchers revealed complex, language-like structure in sperm whale communication with context-sensitive and combinatorial elements. Credit: Amanda Cotton Researchers from MIT ’s CSAIL and Project CETI use machine learning to decode the “sperm whale phonetic alphabet,” revealing complex communication patterns, deepening our understanding of animal language systems. This research, which analyzed thousands of codas from Caribbean sperm whales, reveals a sophisticated, structured communication system, challenging the notion that complex communication is unique to humans.
This work not only advances our understanding of marine biology but also contributes to broader conservation efforts and parallels studies of alien communication. Whales in Myth and Science The allure of whales has stoked human consciousness for millennia, casting these ocean giants as enigmatic residents of the deep seas. From the biblical Leviathan to Herman Melville’s formidable Moby Dick, whales have been central to mythologies and folklore.
And while cetology, or whale science, has improved our knowledge of these marine mammals in the past century in particular, studying whales has remained a formidable a challenge. Now, thanks to machine learning, we’re a little closer to understanding these gentle giants. Researchers from the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) r.
