Pigs are capable of expressing their emotions using grunts, growls, and squeals. How can we understand when a pig is happy and when it is not, based on these sounds? At a slaughterhouse, a pig is likely uncomfortable, whereas a piglet nursing milk experiences joy. By comparing different situations and their corresponding sounds, we can identify patterns in the pig's emotional 'language' and train a computer algorithm to recognize pig emotions.
Artificial intelligence has become an assistant for scientists in recognizing the emotions expressed by pigs through grunting.
The algorithm was provided with nearly seven and a half thousand sound signals, including grunts and squeals, from several hundred pigs of various ages, so it could learn to distinguish between positive and negative emotions. During testing on other pigs, the algorithm demonstrated a 92% accuracy in determining their emotional state.
Furthermore, the study revealed some patterns: when a pig is happy, it emits short sounds with slight changes in pitch, usually transitioning from a higher frequency to a lower one.
In cases where a pig is unhappy, its sounds become high-pitched, and this is no longer a short grunt but a prolonged squeal — these are the sounds often heard by experienced farmers. The authors of the study claim that there are many nuances in the spectrum of pig sounds that can provide more detailed information about the pig's condition.
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