Please join us as we delve into cetacean communications and recent developments aided by AI. We are excited to be joined by Dr. Gaspar Begus to share his work using AI to help us uncover patterns previously unobserved by human researchers. He presents a case where AI facilitated the discovery of vocal patterns in sperm whales that are akin to human vowels. The key to this finding was the observation that timing likely functions differently in whales compared to humans. What can this newly discovered dimension in sperm whale vocalizations teach us about their complex communication system?

This free event is open to the public. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. A suggested donation of $10 per participant is encouraged and greatly appreciated. Donations help cover webinar costs and support our education and cetacean research grant programs. To donate, please visit our website https://www.acs-sfbay.org/donate. We are grateful for your support!

Bio:

Gašper Beguš (https://www.gasperbegus.com) is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, working at the interface of linguistics, artificial intelligence, and cognitive science. His research centers on interpretable AI and the study of language in humans, animals, and machines. He leads efforts to develop techniques that help us better understand the inner workings of AI. In his Berkeley Biological and Artificial Language Lab, he also builds the most realistic models of human language learning—creating an artificial baby language learner. Serving as the Linguistics Lead at Project CETI, a nonprofit dedicated to listening to sperm whales, he researches one of the most intriguing communication systems in the animal kingdom.

Photo credit (Whale Images): Amanda Cotton