Miaows, purrs, whisker twitches: AI could finally help us understand cat 'language'

If an unexpected meow, peculiar pose, or unusual twitch of the whiskers leaves you puzzling over what your cat is trying to tell you, artificial intelligence may soon be able to translate. Scientists are turning to new technology to unpick the meanings behind the vocal and physical cues of a host of animals. "We could use AI to teach us a lot about what animals are trying to say to us," said Daniel Mills, a professor of veterinary behavioural medicine at the University of Lincoln. Previous work, including by Mills, has shown that cats produce a variety of facial expressions when interacting with humans, and this week researchers revealed felines have a range of 276 facial expressions when interacting with other cats. "However, the facial expressions they produce towards humans look different from those produced towards cats," said Dr Brittany Florkiewicz, an assistant professor of psychology at Lyon College in Arkansas who co-authored the new work.