The Mystery of Sea Creatures (3/5): Could an orca give a TED Talk? | Karen Bakker

Artificial intelligence is transforming human understanding of the non-human world by decoding acoustic communications previously imperceptible to human ears. Many species, from bats and orcas to coral larvae and plants, utilize ultrasound or infrasound to navigate, hunt, and socialize. By applying machine learning to these bioacoustic signals, researchers can now monitor biodiversity, regenerate damaged coral reefs, and protect endangered species like North Atlantic right whales from ship strikes. While these technologies offer profound opportunities for conservation and interspecies connection, they also necessitate ethical guardrails to prevent misuse, such as the creation of deceptive animal deepfakes. Ultimately, bioacoustics challenges the human-centric perspective, revealing a complex, interconnected web of life where silence is merely an illusion and commonality across the tree of life is far greater than previously imagined.