Google’s new AI could let us chat with dolphins – No, really

For most of human history, our relationship with dolphins has been hilariously one-sided: we talk, they chirp, and we pretend to understand before tossing them a fish. But now, Google wants to flip the script. Teaming up with Georgia Tech and the Wild Dolphin Project (WDP), the tech giant has unveiled DolphinGemma. Google’s new AI can help us actually understand dolphin chatter.

This model is not just clever, it’s portable too

DolphinGemma is built on Google’s lightweight Gemma model family and trained on decades of data collected by WDP, which has been studying a pod of Atlantic spotted dolphins in the Bahamas since 1985. Every buzz, whistle, and squeal has been recorded, catalogued, and now fed into this AI system. DolphinGemma uses tools like SoundStream to break down dolphin sounds and predict what comes next. Think autocomplete, but for dolphins.

The model is slim enough to run on a Google Pixel, and WDP is already testing it in the field using waterproof Pixel 9 rigs. These devices will listen in, flag interesting patterns, and potentially even allow real-time dolphin-human interactions.

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There’s more. The researchers aren’t stopping at passive listening. They’re working on something called CHAT (Cetacean Hearing Augmentation Telemetry). This system uses synthetic whistles linked to objects dolphins enjoy – like seagrass – and watches for mimicked responses. In short, it’s like teaching dolphins a new shared language.

Google plans to open-source DolphinGemma later this year, potentially unlocking new insights into dolphin – and even other animal – communication. Yes, pigs might talk next. One team already built an AI that decodes pig emotions.

At this rate, you might soon ask a dolphin for directions; assuming your phone survives the swim.