Life

Talking dogs and chatty cats could one day ‘speak’ in our language

Recent AI and other tech advances may soon enable chats with animals

An ullustration shows a woman holding a tablet and appearing to talk with a variety of animals (a bear, dog, turtle and cat). The animals each have speech bubbles with what looks like a scribbled language in them.

Imagine talking to — and understanding — other animals. Advances in decoding animal sounds might someday make that a possibility.

ROBERT NEUBECKER

By Laura Sanders

In the animated movie Up, a boisterous dog wears an electronic collar that translates his doggy thoughts into English words. “My master made me this collar,” he tells his new acquaintances.