Scientists enlist AI to interpret meaning of barks
Researchers from the University of Michigan are using artificial intelligence (AI) to better understand what a dog's bark conveys about whether it is feeling playful or angry.
The scientists were able to make progress towards decoding canine communication by repurposing existing computer models trained on human speech.
"Advances in AI can be used to revolutionize our understanding of animal communication," said University of Michigan AI Laboratory head Rada Mihalcea.
"Our research opens a new window into how we can leverage what we built so far in speech processing to start understanding the nuances of dog barks."
AI-powered systems are used to distinguish nuances in tone, pitch and accent, which in turn enables technologies such as voice-recognition software.
“Animal vocalizations are logistically much harder to solicit and record,” pointed out Artem Abzaliev, the study's lead author.
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