AI for Interspecies Communication

Challenge Aims

The emerging field of AI for interspecies communication presents remarkable opportunities to reshape our understanding of other species and ourselves, and to reimagine how we relate to one another. By leveraging AI’s capabilities to scale to complex and diverse datasets, we can potentially decode the communication systems of various species on Earth. This field holds the promise of not only enhancing our comprehension of non-human behavior and cognition, but also enabling the development of more effective conservation strategies.

Earth Species Project (ESP) is a research non-profit focused on developing artificial intelligence to advance our understanding of non-human communication. ESP is excited to support research in this interdisciplinary space. We’re looking for projects that expand our understanding of the world and inspire wonder. We encourage foundational research projects, creative explorations, and conservation applications. These might include dataset design, collection and processing for AI, field studies of interspecies communication, or developing new AI methods to investigate non-human signals or to facilitate interaction between species. This might also extend to utilizing AI to simulate the sensory experiences of non-human species, fostering a deeper understanding of their perceptions and interactions with their environment. We would love to be surprised.

ROLLING SUBMISSIONS: The goal of this small, fast grant program is to get these projects off the ground quickly. If selected, the grant (up to $10,000 — the average Science Engine grant is $4,000) towards an ongoing Experiment project. Project leads are encouraged to try to raise additional support from the crowdfunding process, as granted amounts may only cover part of the project funds. The sooner you fill out a project application the better (use the "start a project" link below). In addition to funding, we hope to stay engaged with the projects as mentors and supporters, helping to make the experiments a success. 

Cover photo credit: Keri Wilk

Part of the Footprint Coalition Science Engine