From Marc Bekoff, Boulder, Colorado, US
Chris Sherwood’s excellent piece on animal communication, “If only they could talk”, reminded me of an essay I wrote for New Scientist more than 30 years ago (21 May 1994) headlined “Why can’t we talk to the animals?”. Even way back then, we and other animals could “talk” with one another using visual signals, sounds, scents and various combinations thereof (2 November, p 21).
Sherwood also considers what artificial intelligence might tell us about what animals want and need from us and that we might not like what we learn. While AI might fill in some of the gaps in understanding, we already know – and have known for many decades – that we must treat other animals with much more respect and dignity.
When I updated the second edition of my book, The Emotional Lives of Animals (April 2024), I kept track of the 300 or so references and notes I added to the first edition (2007) and not a single one led to the conclusion that we are now doing enough for non-humans. Sherwood is right on the mark that companion dogs with squished faces might tell us they don’t like being unable to breathe, but we already know that.
AI may be the icing on the cake for communication with animals, but it won’t be the panacea some imagine. All we need to do now is “watch” carefully with our eyes, ears, noses and hearts and we will know when we have crossed the line.
Advertisement
