A lot of videos of dogs being trained to "talk" using soundboards have gone viral on social media.&nbsp;

These buttons on the soundboard have appeared impressive to social media users across platforms like TikTok and Instagram. A lot of people have been left puzzled by these videos, and are now wondering if dogs are truly communicating.&nbsp;

Now, in a breakthrough study published in PLOS ONE, the University of California San Diego's researchers revealed that when humans train dogs using soundboard buttons, the pets are able to comprehend some words and also produce contextually appropriate responses.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/dog-accidentally-started-fire-in-us-home-by-chewing-portable-charger-video-748353">Dog accidentally started fire in US home by chewing portable charger&nbsp;</a>

The study was headed by the head of the Comparative Cognition Lab and associate professor in the Department of Cognitive Science at UC San Diego, Federico Rossano.&nbsp;

Rossano, who was also part of the new Netflix documentary "Inside the Mind of a Dog," said that this research is just a step of the ongoing investigation into interspecies communication in his lab.

<h2>Here's what the study says about button-trained dogs</h2>

In the study, it was observed that when dogs were trained using soundboards, they appropriately responded to words like "outside" and "play", even if the words were spoken by humans and not pressed by a button.&nbsp;

This study hinted that the dogs are not just "reading" the body language or presence of their owners but are processing the words spoken to them.

"This study addresses public skepticism about whether dogs truly understand what the buttons mean," Rossano said.&nbsp;

"Our findings are important because they show that words matter to dogs, and that they respond to the words themselves, not just to associated cues," he added.

Watch:&nbsp;Trash-sucking robot dog cleans Italian beaches with AI's help

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trash-sucking-robot-dog-cleans-italian-beaches-with-ais-help-745783/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Two complementary experiments were conducted as part of the research. In the first experiment, 30 dog homes were visited across the country and their responses to the soundboard buttons were tested.&nbsp;

In the second experiment, the trials were conducted by 29 dog owners by themselves at home under remote guidance.

"We're just scratching the surface in this study. Future studies explore how dogs actively use these buttons, including the meaning and systematicity behind sequences of button presses. Our research underscores the importance of studying animals in their home environment, providing a more ecologically valid understanding of their abilities," added Rossano.&nbsp;

This study was part of an ongoing research project in which thousands of participants were involved worldwide.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A lot of videos of dogs being trained to "talk" using soundboards have gone viral on social media. These buttons on the soundboard have appeared impressive to social media users across platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

A lot of videos of dogs being trained to "talk" using soundboards have gone viral on social media. These buttons on the soundboard have appeared impressive to social media users across platforms like TikTok and Instagram. A lot of people have been left puzzled by these videos, and are now wondering if dogs are truly communicating. Now, in a breakthrough study published in PLOS ONE, the University of California San Diego's researchers revealed that when humans train dogs using soundboard buttons, the pets are able to comprehend some words and also produce contextually appropriate responses. Also Read: Dog accidentally started fire in US home by chewing portable charger The study was headed by the head of the Comparative Cognition Lab and associate professor in the Department of Cognitive Science at UC San Diego, Federico Rossano. Rossano, who was also part of the new Netflix documentary "Inside the Mind of a Dog," said that this research is just a step of the ongoing investigation into interspecies communication in his lab. Here's what the study says about button-trained dogs In the study, it was observed that when dogs were trained using soundboards, they appropriately responded to words like "outside" and "play", even if the words were spoken by humans and not pressed by a button. This study hinted that the dogs are not just "reading" the body language or presence of their owners but are processing the words spoken to them. "This study addresses public skepticism about whether dogs truly understand what the buttons mean," Rossano said. "Our findings are important because they show that words matter to dogs, and that they respond to the words themselves, not just to associated cues," he added. Watch: Trash-sucking robot dog cleans Italian beaches with AI's help Two complementary experiments were conducted as part of the research. In the first experiment, 30 dog homes were visited across the country and their responses to the soundboard buttons were tested. In the second experiment, the trials were conducted by 29 dog owners by themselves at home under remote guidance. "We're just scratching the surface in this study. Future studies explore how dogs actively use these buttons, including the meaning and systematicity behind sequences of button presses. Our research underscores the importance of studying animals in their home environment, providing a more ecologically valid understanding of their abilities," added Rossano. This study was part of an ongoing research project in which thousands of participants were involved worldwide. (With inputs from agencies)

Dogs can actually decipher human language and not just cues. Here's how

Elon Musk has said that he is working on a technology that could make the human language obsolete.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-to-defy-alameda-county-orders-to-restart-production-298123">Tesla CEO Elon Musk to defy Alameda County orders to restart production</a>

In a podcast, the Tesla chief was discussing his neurotechnology firm Neuralink, where he said that his company will soon be able to connect a Neuralink device to a brain within a few years. If this happens, it will be for the very first time.&nbsp;

According to Musk, a battery-powered chip will be implanted in the human skull and the electrodes will then "carefully" insert into the brain.&nbsp;

He said: "It can interface with anywhere in your brain, so it could be something that helps cure eyesight. In principle, it can fix almost anything that’s wrong with the brain."

He said the first edition of these devices will focus on treating brain injury or disorders, however, the later versions might be capable of more.&nbsp;

"You wouldn’t need to talk," Musk said, adding: "We could still do it for sentimental reasons."

He went on: "You would be able to communicate very quickly and with far more precision … I’m not sure what would happen to language. In a situation like this, it would kind of be like The Matrix. You wanna speak in a different language? No problem, just download the program."

When asked about the duration of such a device, he said between 5 to 10 years only if the research is allowed to continue.&nbsp;

Elon Musk has said that he is working on a technology that could make the human language obsolete. Also read: Tesla CEO Elon Musk to defy Alameda County orders to restart production In a podcast, the Tesla chief was discussing his neurotechnology firm Neuralink, where he said that his company will soon be able to connect a Neuralink device to a brain within a few years.

Elon Musk has said that he is working on a technology that could make the human language obsolete. Also read: Tesla CEO Elon Musk to defy Alameda County orders to restart production In a podcast, the Tesla chief was discussing his neurotechnology firm Neuralink, where he said that his company will soon be able to connect a Neuralink device to a brain within a few years. If this happens, it will be for the very first time. According to Musk, a battery-powered chip will be implanted in the human skull and the electrodes will then "carefully" insert into the brain. He said: "It can interface with anywhere in your brain, so it could be something that helps cure eyesight. In principle, it can fix almost anything that’s wrong with the brain." He said the first edition of these devices will focus on treating brain injury or disorders, however, the later versions might be capable of more. "You wouldn’t need to talk," Musk said, adding: "We could still do it for sentimental reasons." He went on: "You would be able to communicate very quickly and with far more precision … I’m not sure what would happen to language. In a situation like this, it would kind of be like The Matrix. You wanna speak in a different language? No problem, just download the program." When asked about the duration of such a device, he said between 5 to 10 years only if the research is allowed to continue.

Neuralink devices could make human language obsolete in five years: Elon Musk

human-language

Human Language, News on Human Language, stories on Human Language, articles on Human Language, Human Language stories at Wion, Human Language news, Human Language latest news