This Article explores the burgeoning fields of artificial intelligence and bioacoustics and their potential to reshape nonhuman animal law.
Historically, Western science dismissed nonhuman animal vocalizations as simple and lacking complexity. However, recent advancements in recording technology, artificial intelligence, and interdisciplinary collaborations have revealed that many species, from whales to honeybees, possess sophisticated communication systems. Pioneering projects, like Project Cetacean Translation Initiative’s (CETI) work with sperm whales, are challenging long-held assumptions about animal communication and opening the door to new legal and ethical considerations. This Article examines the legal implications of understanding nonhuman animal communication by asking: If these initiatives succeed, how might the legal terrain be reshaped?
While this Article focuses on the nonhuman animal whose communications have been most studied, it aims to illuminate the legal implications of the growing number of studies on various nonhuman animals—from birds to elephants and countless others. We invite you to explore this emerging legal landscape with us.
