Decoding pig sounds with AI

DNVN - A new artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm has been developed by European scientists to decode pig calls, assisting farmers in improving the animals' quality of life.

The team of experts from Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, France, Norway and the Czech Republic collected thousands of pig vocalizations in a variety of situations, including play, isolation or fighting over food. Through their research, they identified vocalizations that expressed positive and negative emotions.

Behavioral biologist Elodie Mandel-Briefer from the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), who co-led the study, said that understanding the "language" of animals would make an important contribution to improving animal welfare in the livestock industry.

While many farmers have a wealth of knowledge about animal behavior through observing them in their own environment, current tools focus primarily on measuring physical condition. This new AI algorithm not only gives farmers a better understanding of their pigs’ emotions, but also alerts them when negative signs appear, helping to improve the animals’ psychological well-being.

The study found that pigs raised on open-air or organic farms with free-range environments tended to make less stressed sounds than those raised using conventional methods. The researchers hope that this method, once perfected, will be able to help classify and label farms, making it easier for consumers to choose products.

According to the study, short calls usually indicate positive emotions, while long calls signal discomfort, such as when pigs crowd around a feeding trough. High-frequency sounds are often a sign that pigs are stressed, such as when they are in pain, fighting, or when they are separated from the herd.

From these results, the scientists built an AI algorithm for practical application. Ms. Mandel-Briefer shared: “AI has helped us both process the large volume of sounds we have collected and automatically classify the sounds.”

Lan Le (t/h)

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/cong-nghe/giai-ma-am-thanh-cua-lon-nho-ai/20241025104144695