From Ros Groves, Watford, Hertfordshire, UK
While it would be fascinating to decode the messages that lie behind a cat’s purr, a dog’s bark or the clucking of a rather overfed chicken, I think we have to be aware of our strong instinct to attribute human qualities to these creatures. While they undoubtedly display intelligence, it is expressed in a way appropriate to the confines of their own exclusive domain.
With physiologies and lifestyles so diverse and so very different to ours, we can’t begin to expect them to convey, or for us to understand, their emotional states in human terms to any great depth or accuracy. Bees are reported to have been seen “playing” with balls. Yet what would “playing” feel like to a bee?
The AI research will hopefully provide us with some valuable insights into animal behaviour. It is essential, though, to not let our natural anthropomorphic tendencies lead us to believe that this will somehow transform our understanding of and communication with animals into something akin to Dr Dolittle.
Advertisement
