Grunt of the litter: scientists use AI to decode pig calls

Scientists trained a neural network to translate 7,414 pig calls recorded from more than 400 animals. Photograph: Geoffrey Swaine/Rex/Shutterstock

Never mind trouncing humans at video games and the ancient pursuits of chess and Go. Researchers have now harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to infer how pigs are feeling on the basis of their grunts.

Scientists believe that the AI pig translator – which turns oinks, snuffles, grunts and squeals into emotions – could be used to automatically monitor animal wellbeing and pave the way for better livestock treatment on farms and elsewhere.