Artificial Intelligence (AI) is leapfrogging ahead faster than much of society can comprehend. Not only is AI enabling deep online fakes and autonomous (self-driving) cars, but also, if prognosticators are correct, AI can eventually help decode communications among animals – with apparently the very real possibility of enabling bilateral communications between humans and another species.

Are we approaching an era when humans can talk with other mammals – and be understood – and vice versa?

It that a likely possibility? Really?

I will leave that answer (discovery and detection) up to much more intelligent and visionary scientists and researchers (listen to BBC here and to ABC Radio National here).

Well, if bilateral communications become possible between humans and other species, what are the implications? And, more interestingly (to me at least), what would be the topic of discussions with dolphins, whales, turtles, and sharks? This is what I could imagine that human swimmers and marine life may discuss with one another in the world’s oceans:

Questions from Dolphins

• Why is the ocean getting dirtier?
• The fish don’t taste so good anymore.
• Isn’t it getting noisier? I can’t sleep as well.
• What do you humans eat up there?
• We see you in the channels sometimes, but why do you always have a loud boat next to you?
• Did you see my twist as I breached out of the water? Wasn’t that cool?

Communications with Whales

• We gotta swim a lot further to eat nowadays. What do you eat?
• When we eat krill, we also swallow things we do not like that give us constipation. We see it [plastic] all over the oceans now.
• We see cables and buoys and hear all kinds of noise from boats. It gives us headaches. Does it hurt you too?
• Our families used to be much bigger. We are sad now because we only have a few cousins, aunts, and uncles.
• Did you see how high I jumped? Did you like my splash?

Talks with Turtles

• Chill out. Take it easy. Why are you always going fast in boats?
• We get so stuffed with all these jellyfish nowadays. Those jellies seem to be all over the place, wherever we go.
• Aren’t you warm? The ocean is getting so much more warmer nowadays.
• We vacation in the tropics. You gotta get over there sometime.
• I lost my first and second husbands in some fishing nets. They were good partners.
• How deep can you dive?

Discussions with Sharks

• You humans swim slow…and funny. You splash so much. Why do you turn your head?
• We feel your heart beating. Your hearts always seem to beat faster when you see us.
• We see you all the time swimming on the surface. Why don’t you swim under the water?
• Stay away from orcas, especially when they are hungry.
• Dolphins are some fast creatures. They can sprint, jump, and swim long distances fast.

© 2023 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“