Ever wondered what your pet really means when it purrs or barks? Baidu, owner of the Chinese mainland's largest search engine, is exploring an AI-driven breakthrough: converting animal noises into human speech.
A recent patent filing with the China National Intellectual Property Administration outlines a system that would collect vocalizations, behavioral patterns and physiological signals from animals. After preprocessing and merging this data, an AI analysis would identify emotional states and map them to semantic meanings then translate the result into words we understand.
According to Baidu's patent document, this approach could unlock deeper emotional communication and understanding between animals and humans making cross-species chats more accurate and efficient. A company spokesperson confirmed the project remains in a research phase with no set timeline for a marketable product.
This move follows Baidu's aggressive AI investments after the rise of ChatGPT. Last month the firm launched Ernie 4.5 Turbo, touting competitive benchmarks against industry leaders. Yet its chatbot has faced stiff competition in gaining user traction.
Baidu is not alone in this quest. Since 2020, Project Cetacean Translation Initiative has been using AI and statistical models to decode whale calls, while the Earth Species Project backed by LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman has been pioneering similar efforts since 2017.
The patent news sparked buzz on Weibo. Some users shared excitement at the thought of finally understanding pet complaints and compliments while others urged caution: one comment read that the idea sounds impressive, but results will depend on real-world performance.
Whether Baidu's animal translator becomes the next must-have pet gadget or remains a lab curiosity, it highlights the growing push to bridge gaps between humans and other species. As AI continues to evolve, our relationship with animals may never be the same.
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China's Baidu looks to patent AI system to decipher animal sounds
cgtn.com
