What in the World - Can we talk to animals?

Imagine being able to understand what animals are saying - and potentially even talking back. Animal-to-human communication is a subject which has garnered a lot of attention in recent years. And now artificial intelligence (AI) is turbo charging the conversation.

The BBC’s Caroline Steel chats us through the basics of animal communication, how technological advancements have helped humans understand them, and what the next phase of this could look like. David Gruber from Project CETI also shares his team’s pioneering efforts to understand sperm whales. Plus, vet Haehyun Shin shares how her work would be impacted if she could understand her pet patients.

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Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Mora Morrison and Chelsea Coates
Video producer: Tim Hodges
Editor: Verity Wilde

Published on Tuesday, 31st March 2026.

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