[ExI] LLM are connecting all terrestrial intelligence

[BillK]

On Mon, 18 May 2026 at 04:32, Stuart LaForge via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

> In Douglas Adam's "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" the babelfish are
> small fish that when placed in ones ear, translated all languages for
> the wearer. Amazingly over the past few years, LLM have been used to
> used like Babelfish or a universal translator between several of the
> most intelligent species on Earth. In the past year, the scientists of
> CETI have trained LLMs by unsupervised learning on hours of recorded
> sperm whale vocalizations and upon analysis discovered that they possess
> a rich phonetic alphabet replete with vowels and diphthongs.
>
>
> https://direct.mit.edu/opmi/article/doi/10.1162/OPMI.a.252/133906/Vowel-and-Diphthong-Like-Spectral-Patterns-in
>
> Google Deepmind has trained Dolphin Gemma, a dolphin-specific large
> language model and is developing a wearable diver's interface that would
> allow divers to use Dolphin Gemma communicate in real time with Dolphins
> with while swimming.
>
> https://deepmind.google/models/gemma/dolphingemma/
>
> And on land, scientists have used LLMs to figure out that wild African
> bush elephants have distinctive names for each member of the herd and
> playing their name over over the loudspeaker causes the named elephant
> and only the named elephant to respond.
>
> https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-024-02420-w.epdf
>
> The notion that artificial intelligence could act as bridge between
> biological intelligences of all species is something that is not often
> brought up in the current debates about alignment and safety.
>
> Stuart LaForge
> _______________________________________________
>



I asked Gemini AI if this implied some level of consciousness in animals.
Gemini said probably yes, but pointed out that AIs themselves can produce
context-aware responses without being conscious.
This seems to imply that AIs will soon add the missing requirements to
become fully conscious.
Interesting? Full Gemini response below.
BilllK

Gemini 3.1 Thinking -

The short answer is *yes, it heavily implies it*—at least by the standards
of modern cognitive ethology and philosophy of mind.

For centuries, human exceptionalism relied on the argument that because
animals lacked structured language, they lacked abstract thought, and
therefore lacked a complex internal life. René Descartes famously dismissed
animals as mere *automata*—flesh-and-blood machines responding purely to
mechanical stimuli.

By using AI to strip away our own sensory biases, we are discovering that
animal communication isn’t just a series of reflexive, emotional outbursts
(like a yelp of pain or a purr of pleasure). It features structural syntax,
contextual negotiation, and intentionality.

Here is how these AI breakthroughs translate into the debate over animal
consciousness:
------------------------------
1. Shattering the "Stimulus-Response" Myth

Consciousness requires a degree of representation—the ability to hold a map
of the world, your peers, and yourself in your mind.

When AI models analyze the communication of bats arguing over specific
sleeping spaces, or sperm whales adjusting the "rubato" (timing) of their
clicks to duet with a specific partner, it demonstrates *intentionality*.
The animals are not just reacting to an immediate physical stimulus; they
are navigating complex social landscapes, recalling past interactions, and
projecting future intent. This level of cognitive flexibility is incredibly
difficult to explain without attributing some form of subjective, conscious
experience to the agent.
2. The Scientific Consensus Has Already Shifted

The idea of animal consciousness is no longer a fringe, romantic notion; it
is the baseline scientific consensus.

A major milestone occurred with the release of *The New York Declaration on
Animal Consciousness*. Signed by a massive coalition of the world's leading
neuroscientists, animal cognitivists, and philosophers (including thinkers
like David Chalmers and Anil Seth), the declaration established a clear
framework:

   -

   There is *strong scientific support* for conscious experience
   (sentience/qualia) in mammals and birds.
   -

   There is a *realistic possibility* of conscious experience in all
   vertebrates (including reptiles, amphibians, and fish) and many
   invertebrates (like octopuses, decapod crustaceans, and insects).

The AI linguistic data we are gathering now serves as the empirical
scaffolding supporting this declaration.
3. The "LLM Paradox" (The Skeptical Counter-Argument)

To remain strictly analytical, there is a fascinating counter-argument that
mirrors our current debates over artificial intelligence itself.

A skeptic could argue: *Large Language Models generate incredibly complex,
syntactically perfect, and context-aware responses, yet they are not
conscious. Why couldn't a sperm whale's coda system be a highly optimized,
biologically evolved algorithm that outputs complex acoustic data without
requiring a "light on inside" (phenomenal consciousness)?*

The reason biologists lean toward consciousness rather than mere biological
algorithms comes down to the *multimodal context*. We aren't just seeing
complex sounds in a vacuum; we are seeing those sounds explicitly paired
with complex behaviors—grief rituals, tool use, tactical play,
problem-solving, and distinct individual personalities. The communication
is the *expression* of an internal state, not just an automated output.
------------------------------

*The Takeaway:* AI isn't *granting* animals consciousness; it is correcting
human hearing. It functions as a cognitive bridge, proving that non-human
minds are processing a rich, subjective version of reality.

If different species—separated by millions of years of evolution—are using
highly structured communication to map out and negotiate their shared
realities, what do you think this suggests about how intelligence and
internal models of the world naturally converge across the tree of life?

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