India, Jan. 30 -- Can AI translate meows, barks, and birdsong into English? It may be able to. Last year, Chinese company Baidu applied for a patent for a new AI-based technology that proposes to convert animal sounds into human language. They claim that mapping vocalisations, behavioural patterns, and physiological signals to specific emotional states can help us translate what animals are saying in real-time, "improving cross-species communication". In human-speak: We'll be able to talk to animals, in a way.

Sounds fancy, and a little sus. Scientists have been trying to understand what animals are "saying" for ages. Sure, most animal carers can tell when the dog feels betrayed, when the cat wants a cuddle, when the elephant has had eno...