What is Google’s DolphinGemma AI trying to do?

For decades, dolphins have fascinated scientists with their intelligence and mysterious language. Now, thanks to a groundbreaking partnership between Google DeepMind and marine biologist Dr. Denise Herzing, we might be closer than ever to understanding them.

Herzing has spent over 40 years studying a wild pod of dolphins near the Bahamas, collecting thousands of hours of underwater audio. Using this data, Google adapted its Gemini AI model into a new system called DolphinGemma, designed to analyze dolphin vocalizations — from echolocation clicks to complex impulse patterns — in ways the human brain simply can’t.

Humans may never fully "speak dolphin", but AI can spot hidden structures and signals we miss entirely. And now, the project is opening to the public — inviting citizen scientists to help decode the underwater conversations of one of Earth’s most intelligent species.