Chinese tech powerhouse Baidu has filed a patent for a system that would use AI to decode animal sounds and behavior then translate those signals into human language.
For the tens of millions of pet owners wondering what their animals are considering, this might be the primary real step toward bridging the communication gap between humans and animals.
The tech
Baidu’s system would collect animal vocalizations, body movements, and biological signals. It would merge that data and feed it into an AI model trained to discover emotional states.
These emotional states could then be rendered in human language to spice up “cross-species communication”.
It’s still only a patent. A Baidu spokesperson told media the translator is “still within the research stage,” but acknowledged “a number of interest within the filing.”
Core idea:
Photo by Angel Luciano on Unsplash
The skepticism
Some Chinese netizens aren’t convinced. One Weibo user commented, “While it sounds impressive, we’ll have to see the way it performs in real-world applications.”
Patent approvals in China can take 1–5 years, depending on complexity. Baidu’s idea could also be early, however the conversation it’s sparking is already loud and clear.
Want your dog to inform you how they really feel? You may not be barking up the mistaken tree for long.
