### Scientists Use AI to Decode Dolphin Communication, Win $100K Prize
A team of researchers studying dolphin communication in Florida has won the inaugural $100,000 **Coller Dolittle Challenge**, an award recognizing breakthroughs in interspecies communication. Led by **Laela Sayigh** of the **Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution**, the team used hydrophones to record dolphin whistles, suggesting these sounds may function like words shared within dolphin communities. One whistle appears to serve as an alarm, while another is used in unfamiliar situations. The next step involves using **AI to analyze these patterns**, potentially unlocking deeper insights into dolphin language.
The challenge, a collaboration between the **Jeremy Coller Foundation and Tel Aviv University**, also honored research on nightingales, marmoset monkeys, and cuttlefish communication. **Jonathan Birch**, a judge and professor at the **London School of Economics**, emphasized the need for vast datasets—similar to those used to train AI models like **ChatGPT**—to decode animal communication. The **Sarasota Dolphin Research Program**, with its 40-year library of dolphin whistles, provides crucial data for AI-driven analysis.
### AI Revolutionizing Animal Communication Research
Advances in **AI and deep learning** are accelerating research into animal communication, enabling scientists to process vast amounts of data more efficiently. **Kate Zacarian**, CEO of the **Earth Species Project**, highlighted how AI allows researchers to move beyond isolated signals to study communication as a **dynamic, structured system**. Her organization recently released **NatureLM audio**, an open-source AI model for analyzing animal sounds, and is collaborating with biologists to study species like **orcas, crows, and jumping spiders**.
Zacarian praised Sayigh’s work, noting that such breakthroughs could bring greater recognition to **interspecies communication studies**. AI not only speeds up research but also opens new avenues for understanding complex animal behaviors. With more projects underway, scientists are optimistic about one day **”cracking the code”** of dolphin language—and beyond.
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