Pigeons on Par With Advanced AI in Terms of Learning: Researchers
In Brief
Pigeons possess a remarkable visual and spatial intelligence, enabling them to quickly recognize patterns in their environment.
To prove this, researchers gave the birds a difficult test and found that they had learned to recognize the categories and click on the correct buttons, even in ambiguous cases.
AI technologies are based on well-known methods that are subject even to ordinary pigeons, so don’t underestimate its cognitive abilities.
It’s pretty incredible what pigeons can do. Researchers have found that the cognitive abilities of pigeons are on par with advanced computer neural networks. How is this possible?
Computers use the same methodology as birds: associative learning, or the ability to identify patterns and objects. Computers, thanks to their power and huge memory, are far superior to birds, but the approach to learning is similar. Pigeons possess remarkable visual and spatial intelligence, enabling them to quickly recognize patterns in their environment. By learning to associate different visual and aural cues, pigeons can navigate their surroundings, find food sources and remember important places.
To prove this, the researchers gave the birds a difficult test. Each experimental pigeon was shown a stimulus. The task was to determine which category it belonged to by clicking the right or left mouse button. For a correct answer, pigeons got a tasty treat; a wrong answer meant they got nothing. After thousands of trials, the researchers concluded that the pigeons had learned to recognize the categories and click on the correct buttons, even in ambiguous cases.
The pigeons were able to memorize enough scenarios to reach almost 70% accuracy. AI uses the same associative learning: It identifies patterns and learns from them.
AI technologies seem to be something unrealistic, but they are based on well-known methods that are subject even to ordinary pigeons. So the next time you see a pigeon, don’t underestimate its cognitive abilities—it may be smarter than you think!
Read more about AI:
Disclaimer
In line with the Trust Project guidelines, please note that the information provided on this page is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other form of advice. It is important to only invest what you can afford to lose and to seek independent financial advice if you have any doubts. For further information, we suggest referring to the terms and conditions as well as the help and support pages provided by the issuer or advertiser. MetaversePost is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice.
About The Author
Damir is the team leader, product manager, and editor at Metaverse Post, covering topics such as AI/ML, AGI, LLMs, Metaverse, and Web3-related fields. His articles attract a massive audience of over a million users every month. He appears to be an expert with 10 years of experience in SEO and digital marketing. Damir has been mentioned in Mashable, Wired, Cointelegraph, The New Yorker, Inside.com, Entrepreneur, BeInCrypto, and other publications. He travels between the UAE, Turkey, Russia, and the CIS as a digital nomad. Damir earned a bachelor's degree in physics, which he believes has given him the critical thinking skills needed to be successful in the ever-changing landscape of the internet.
More articles
Damir is the team leader, product manager, and editor at Metaverse Post, covering topics such as AI/ML, AGI, LLMs, Metaverse, and Web3-related fields. His articles attract a massive audience of over a million users every month. He appears to be an expert with 10 years of experience in SEO and digital marketing. Damir has been mentioned in Mashable, Wired, Cointelegraph, The New Yorker, Inside.com, Entrepreneur, BeInCrypto, and other publications. He travels between the UAE, Turkey, Russia, and the CIS as a digital nomad. Damir earned a bachelor's degree in physics, which he believes has given him the critical thinking skills needed to be successful in the ever-changing landscape of the internet.
