Have a ChatGPT with your dog or cat?

A cool $10 mn prize has been announced by the Jeremy Coller Foundation and Tel Aviv University for anyone who can crack the code of inter-species two-way communication using generative AI. Which means being able to understand your dog or cat when she tells you that she wants her tug-toy, and not the ball to play with.

For those of you able to comprehend inter-human communication, the Babel fish in Douglas Adams' novel, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, should be familiar as the small, yellow fish that, when placed in an ear, will allow the 'wearer' to hear any language translated into their first language. But this prize is to find a real-life Doctor Dolittle, the vet in Hugh Lofting's children's books who can speak to animals.

Researchers have already used ML algorithms to translate bat squeaks and understand pig grunts. For domesticated animals, however, scientists should first listen to pet parents. A peek at social media will reveal why. Many pet parents and their wards actually already yap away. They know that a 'puppy face' means 'Feed me NOW!' It may actually be tougher for us to understand fellow humans.