AI is not merely being imposed on us; even monkeys in the forest are now part of the test audience for scientific research.

      Researchers at Emory University have developed an AI-powered touchscreen that rewards wild capuchin monkeys with banana slices, aiding in the study of their thinking, learning, and problem-solving abilities in their natural environment.

      You didn't request an AI summary of your inbox or a chatbot in your camera app, yet you received them nonetheless. A similar scenario is occurring among the monkeys in Costa Rica's Taboga Forest Reserve. According to a report from the New York Times, scientists have introduced a touchscreen system that utilizes artificial intelligence to investigate how wild capuchins think and learn, all while keeping them in their natural habitat.

      Even monkeys can’t escape AI now

      In contrast to the AI features that are becoming commonplace in our applications, this initiative serves a legitimate scientific purpose. The system, named CapuchinAI, is a portable testing station created by researchers from Emory University. It consists of a touchscreen, a webcam, and a 3D-printed food dispenser housed in a wooden frame. Facial recognition software, trained on images of the local capuchins, detects an oncoming monkey and presents a simple task: touch the screen to receive a piece of dried banana.

      According to the study, the researchers observed for two days before any capuchin approached the device. On the third day, an alpha male known as Papi arrived, quickly learning the pattern. Eventually, ten of the sixteen capuchins that engaged with the station understood the task, and at least eight recalled how to perform it during subsequent sessions.

      Dr. Marcela Benítez, a primatologist at Emory University, expressed that the aim is to examine how primates tackle problems under the same conditions they face in the wild, which cannot be replicated in a laboratory setting.

      The AI upgrade is already on the way

      This summer, the team intends to test an enhanced model that will recognize individual capuchins rather than just identifying the species as a whole. This new system will also conduct tests on impulse control and cognitive flexibility, monitoring each monkey's development similar to how a game tracks player statistics. It represents a more interactive advancement over the facial recognition software previously utilized for identifying individual chimpanzees in the wild, as CapuchinAI combines this recognition with a live reward loop.

      Most of us recognize AI as the technology that keeps appearing on our devices, whether we desire it or not. Now, it has also made its way into the Costa Rican rainforest. The distinction here is that the new users are wild capuchins tapping on a screen for banana slices, all for the sake of scientific research.