Gašper Beguš, an associate professor of linguistics at UC Berkeley, is exploring the intersection of linguistics with various disciplines such as biology, law, and computer science. In a recent episode of “101 in 101,” a series from UC Berkeley, Beguš shared insights into his work and the growing interest in linguistics.
Beguš notes that “nobody cared about linguistics” when he first began studying ancient languages. However, today it has become a focal point for researchers across different fields. “The machine learning people really want to know how we do things,” says Beguš. This interest extends to lawyers, biologists, and others who see potential applications for linguistic research.
In his lab, Beguš is investigating how artificial intelligence can mimic human language acquisition. The AI system he uses listens and replicates sounds similarly to how infants learn language. This research aims to illuminate the processes behind language learning.
“There’s still so many unknowns about how we are able to learn language,” Beguš remarks.
Beyond human language, Beguš is applying AI to study communication among various animal species including jumping spiders, elephants, bees, and sperm whales. He believes this approach can reveal new insights into animal communication systems.
“It’s really powerful to use linguistics as a tool to look inside these animals and see how they communicate, how their lives work,” says Beguš. He describes this period as an exciting time for linguistics due to its expansion into artificial models and the animal kingdom.
