A recent scientific study conducted in Austria has uncovered how geese can distinguish between different human faces with the help of artificial intelligence.
Geese are more complex creatures than we might imagine. Scientists have discovered, thanks to artificial intelligence, that these animals possess the ability to recognize individual faces beyond behaviors like jealousy and revenge.
Artificial intelligence was used to understand how geese distinguish and recognize people This breakthrough emerged as Sonia Kleindorfer took over as the director of the Konrad Lorenz Behavior and Cognition Research Center in Vienna, Austria. Her predecessor, the famous Austrian biologist Konrad Lorenz, had an uncanny ability to identify local Greylag Geese by their names simply by looking at pictures of faces on a plaque.
However, Kleindorfer found it challenging to replicate this feat. To unravel the mystery of how geese are distinguished from each other, she sought help from a colleague who developed an artificial intelligence-powered facial recognition system. This system was fed with a comprehensive database of images of geese taken from various angles, allowing it to identify geese based solely on distinctive features in their beaks.
Taking the research a step further, the team sought to understand the dynamics of social interactions among geese. Using images generated by artificial intelligence, they tested whether geese could recognize other geese. The results were fascinating: geese could identify images of their mates and friends but struggled to recognize their own reflections.
This discovery marks a significant step in understanding the extent of geese’s facial recognition abilities. It sheds light on how these birds navigate complex social dynamics and steer their intricate relationships.
It appears that geese rely on facial features to identify their friends, partners, and even their rivals, potentially influenced by the same markers used by the artificial intelligence system.
