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 quality of life for animals.

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 playing, being isolated or fighting over food. Through their research, they identified vocalizations that expressed positive and negative emotions.

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

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 conditions. 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 outdoor or organic farms with free-range environments were less likely to make stress calls than those raised using conventional methods. The researchers hope that this method, once perfected, could help classify and label farms, making it easier for consumers to choose products.

According to research, short squeals typically indicate positive emotions, while long squeals 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 separated from the herd.

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