Dolphins are among the smartest creatures on the planet, and a new AI model from Google combined with Pixel phones is helping researchers better understand their language — and even hopefully communicate with them.
Dolphin sounds fall into a few specific categories, such as whistles, squawks, and clicking buzzes, each linked to a different context and behavior. By analyzing these sounds, researchers can detect patterns and structure, just like human language. Researchers at the Wild Dolphin Project have been collecting data on this language for nearly 40 years. A collaboration with Google to use a new Google AI model called DolphinGemma lets them take that research a step further and actually predict what sound is coming next.
Google says it designed DolphinGemma to take advantage of specific Google audio technology. This means using Pixel phones dramatically lessens the need for custom hardware, improves the ability to keep the system running, lowers power usage, and cuts back on costs — all important elements for people working in the field. Because the AI model was essentially built specifically for Pixel devices, researchers in the field have been using a Pixel 6 to record and analyze data underwater in real-time. This summer, they’ll upgrade to a Pixel 9 that can run both deep learning and template matching at the same time.
The goal, as explained in a YouTube video, is to understand how dolphin language works, construct a possible sound a dolphin might understand, and have a dolphin understand the context and replicate that sound to accomplish a task. Understanding the importance of the research, Google says it plans to share DolphinGemma as an open model this summer. It was trained on Atlantic spotted dolphin sounds, but still has utility for other species like bottlenose or spinner dolphins. By opening its tools to everyone, Google hopes to let researchers worldwide gain a better understanding of these super-intelligent animals.
