Talking to animals emerges as AI’s next ethical minefield

Advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping efforts to understand animal communication, but researchers warn the same technology could also be used to manipulate and harm the species it studies.

As reported by Bloomberg, biologists Vittorio Baglione and Daniela Canestrari have spent years using AI to analyse thousands of hours of carrion crow recordings, building one of the largest bird-sound datasets in existence.

Meanwhile, experts like César Rodríguez-Garavito of NYU caution that AI could enable large-scale exploitation, from luring animals into traps to military applications.

Concerns further extend to “playback” experiments, which broadcast recorded calls back to animals and have reportedly caused visible distress in some cases.

Despite the risks, researchers argue the potential benefits for conservation and animal welfare outweigh the dangers, if pursued responsibly.