What they do
Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) uses AI and machine learning to decode sperm whale communication. The project deploys underwater listening arrays in the waters around Dominica, recording millions of whale clicks (codas) and using natural language processing to identify patterns, syntax, and potential semantic content. The interdisciplinary team includes marine biologists, AI researchers, linguists, and roboticists.
Why they matter
If Project CETI succeeds in demonstrating that sperm whales have a structured communication system (which preliminary evidence suggests), it would fundamentally change how humanity relates to other species and the ocean. The legal implications are enormous: communicating species could be granted stronger protections under international law. Beyond the whales, CETI's methods are applicable to other species, potentially opening interspecies communication as an entirely new field.
How to support
Follow their research updates and publications. Donations fund underwater recording equipment, AI compute resources, and field research in Dominica. The project publishes open datasets for other researchers to analyze.
Key project to explore
CETI's underwater listening array in Dominica has recorded millions of sperm whale codas, building the largest dataset of cetacean communication ever assembled for AI-powered linguistic analysis.