#14 ChatGPT: I speak whale

For centuries, people considered language a tenant of humanity, something unique to our species.

But you and I know we’ve witnessed animals communicating - using language.

Thanks to AI, natural language processing technology, and ChatGPT, we’re now closer than ever to translating whale language.

In today’s newsletter:

• I can talk whaaaaale: ChatGPT to help researchers decode the codas

• The rundown: GPT plugins, AI-powered bikes built by civilians, and overinflation in the AI market

• Tips, tricks & tools: Conversation summaries, decypher complex legal documents, and create safe job listings

• Superhuman: AI tools create an entire marketing strategy and project in just 30 minutes

• A threat? Is AI a threat to human creativity?

“I CAN TALK WHAAAAALE”

Animal behaviourists have been demonstrating for decades how the animal kingdom is full of species capable of communicating:

• The bees “waggle dance”

• Prarie dogs communicating danger

• Monkeys sharing information via a social hierarchy

However, these rudimentary forms of communication don’t form “language” as humans know it.

But there are species with more complex forms of communication - perhaps even language.

Humans have developed communication systems with many species, like signing with Gorillas and verbal/visual commands for domesticated species. But fully deciphering and translating what animals say to one another - if they’re saying anything at all - has long eluded scientists.

That might all be about to change.

Recent developments in natural language processing(NLP) (such as ChatGPT) have shown what’s possible regarding human language and computers - using AI systems to predict which word comes in a sentence accurately.

And now, scientists believe we might be able to use this technology to translate whale language - particularly the vocalizations of the sperm whale.

The loudest animal on the planet, sperm whales can make noises up to 230 decibels (noises above 150 decibels above water rupture human eardrums).

They group vocalizations into “codas”, which are sequences of clicks that researchers believe form the foundation of their language.

“These codas are produced when whales are socializing - not when they’re engaged in other activities such as hunting, and calves can take up to two years to produce recognizable codas - before which they babble just like human babies.” (source)

Using the “correlation of linguistic statistical property” principle that makes ChatGPT so effective (which is beyond the scope of this newsletter but is described beautifully in this documentary), researchers believe that - with the right amount of training data, in the form of sperm whale coda recordings - we could form clusters of a “whale language galaxy” that can be translated.

While researchers haven’t successfully done this yet, the AI systems are primed and ready for training, and now begins the arduous process of collecting enough whale codas to train the system.

Learn more about this incredible development thanks to AI here - we’ll be sure to keep you updated!

THE RUNDOWN 🐂

• Midjourney has created an accurate image of a pair of hands, a creative and complex task that could have implications for robotics, deepfakes and automated systems. (link)

• Viral TikTok video showing a man who claims to have built an AI-powered bike that can avoid obstacles and navigate through traffic. (link)

• AI hype has resulted in an overinflated market for AI investment, with some investors being misled about AI projects' true value and potential. (link)

• OpenAI has turned its ChatGPT language model into a platform with the addition of plugins, enabling developers to build applications and services on top of the language model. (link)

• AI system generates realistic faces from text descriptions, a technology with potential applications in video games, film, law enforcement and other areas. (link)

TIPS, TRICKS & TOOLS ⚒️

• Fireflies AI - AI notetaker to transcribe, summarize and analyze your voice conversations. (link)

• Murf AI - Used by thousands of professionals to convert text to speech. Useful for voice-overs, dictations, podcasts and slideshows. (link)

• Originality AI - Detect when writing is generated by AI. (link)

• Textio - Create optimized job listings. Eliminate gender bias and create fair job listings. Used by Twitter, Microsoft, Square and Starbucks. (link)

• Legal Robot - Decypher complex legal contracts and understand exactly what you’re signing. (link)

“SUPERHUMAN” WHARTON PROFESSOR AI BUSINESS PROJECT

While this meme is true for many, it’s not true for Ethan Mollick, a management professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Ethan used AI tools to plan, market and launch a new educational game.

In just 30 minutes, the tolls had:

• Conducted market research

• Written a positioning document

• Written an email campaign

• Created a website

• Designed a logo and hero shot

• Strategized a social media campaign for several platforms

• Scripted and created an initial video

This work would have taken a team “days of work” to do everything Mollick achieved in just 30 minutes using AI tools.

So, are you sure AI isn’t going to replace you?

Learn precisely how Wollick did all this here.

A THREAT TO OUR CREATIVITY?

Given the significant advancements in AI, some people are concerned that AI-generated art and literature could replace human creativity entirely.

Given the quality of The People’s Cube “Cho Bai-Din” (below), it’s kind of hard to argue against that.

Nonetheless, others argue that AI is merely a tool that enhances human creativity and does not pose a threat to it.

Proponents of AI-generated art and literature argue that these technologies allow us to create art and literature that would be impossible for humans to generate.

This is because AI algorithms can create new and innovative patterns previously inaccessible to human artists and writers.

Additionally, AI-generated art and literature can be produced much faster than human-generated works, which could help democratize the arts and make them more accessible to a broader audience.

However, opponents of AI-generated art and literature argue that it lacks the soul and emotional depth that is inherent in human creativity.

They believe that the unpredictable nature of human creativity cannot be replicated by an algorithm, and that the human experience is essential to the creation of art and literature.

From our point of view, while AI can be a powerful tool that enhances human creativity, it cannot replace the human experience or the unpredictable nature of human creativity.

What do YOU think, reader?

Is AI a threat to human artists?

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