• Koko, a young gorilla, is taught sign language by June Monroe, centre, an interpreter for the deaf, at an undisclosed location. Photo: Bettmann
    Koko, a young gorilla, is taught sign language by June Monroe, centre, an interpreter for the deaf, at an undisclosed location. Photo: Bettmann
  • Canine expert Cesar Millan and his dogs. Getty Images
    Canine expert Cesar Millan and his dogs. Getty Images
  • Kevin Richardson, the ‘lion whisperer’, runs a sanctuary housing 23 lions, as well as leopards and hyenas. Reuters
    Kevin Richardson, the ‘lion whisperer’, runs a sanctuary housing 23 lions, as well as leopards and hyenas. Reuters
  • The late Dr Jane Goodall made scientific breakthroughs in the field of animal behaviour. Photo: National Geographic
    The late Dr Jane Goodall made scientific breakthroughs in the field of animal behaviour. Photo: National Geographic
  • Monty Roberts, whose memoir is called The Man Who Listens to Horses, talks to a steed he is training. Getty Images
    Monty Roberts, whose memoir is called The Man Who Listens to Horses, talks to a steed he is training. Getty Images
  • Paul the octopus predicts a Germany victory in the 2006 World Cup last 16 clash with England, at an aquarium in Oberhausen. Paul earned fame by correctly forecasting the result of some group stage matches. Reuters
    Paul the octopus predicts a Germany victory in the 2006 World Cup last 16 clash with England, at an aquarium in Oberhausen. Paul earned fame by correctly forecasting the result of some group stage matches. Reuters
  • A scene from the hit 1960s TV show Mister Ed, in which American horse Bamboo Harvester played the title character. Getty Images
    A scene from the hit 1960s TV show Mister Ed, in which American horse Bamboo Harvester played the title character. Getty Images
  • Koko, now grown up, with here her lifelong teacher and friend Dr Penny Patterson. AFP
    Koko, now grown up, with here her lifelong teacher and friend Dr Penny Patterson. AFP
  • American horse trainer Monty Roberts at work. Getty Images
    American horse trainer Monty Roberts at work. Getty Images
  • Cesar Millan, who runs the Dog Psychology Centre of Los Angeles, takes dogs for an early morning run in the Californian city. Getty Images
    Cesar Millan, who runs the Dog Psychology Centre of Los Angeles, takes dogs for an early morning run in the Californian city. Getty Images
  • Dr Jane Goddall was known for her work with primates
    Dr Jane Goddall was known for her work with primates

Tech has brought humanity closer to talking to animals – but will people like what they hear?


Dana Alomar
  • English
  • Arabic

Humanity may be closer than ever to developing technology that enables us to talk to animals. But futurists say the world is unprepared for the ethical, economic and legal implications that come with unlocking such an ability.

Future forecasting strategists warn of fast-accelerating risks, including climate change, mounting pressure on global healthcare systems from labour shortages and unforeseen consequences of artificial intelligence.

“One thing that's on nobody's radar, or only on a few people's radars, is the fact we're moving closer to a time when we will be able to talk, to communicate with animals,” Florence Gaub, director of the research division at the Nato Defence College, told The National at the Dubai Future Forum.

The annual gathering at the Museum of the Future last week brought together government strategists, scientists, innovators and experts to identify emerging signals and stress test assumptions about what is to come in the next decade.

Ms Gaub said advances in data collection and AI were rapidly moving the world closer to fuller communication with animals. “We will be able to understand what they're going through,” she said. “They will be able to talk about their feelings, how everything is for them.”

Last year, Earth Species Project, a non-profit group focused on animal communication, launched NatureLM, an AI language model that can identity the species of an animal as it communicates. The programme can also determine the animal's approximate age and whether it is distressed or playing.

Ms Gaub said a breakthrough in communication could reshape food systems, environmental ethics and human-animal relationships.

Do we continue eating animals if we understand that they have feelings?
Florence Gaub,
Nato Defence College

“Do we continue eating animals if we understand that they have feelings?” she asked. Scientists, she added, are already building the datasets needed to make these systems possible. “We are at level one. We need to create awareness.”

She said long-term planning often neglected the human dimension. “The human at the centre of the future, to me, is so often neglected,” she said. She added that “being in nature, being with family, cooking, none of that exists in old futures", because deeper questions about what defines human life today and in the future are frequently overlooked.

Such questions, she said, “should be at the centre because everything else derives from that".

Speakers told The National that, while innovation is accelerating, policymakers are still overlooking profound disruptions, from ecological shifts and labour shortages to the ethical dilemmas created by AI. Taken together, the risks point to a future in which environmental, technological and social pressures converge more quickly than institutions can adapt.

Medical labour shortage

Health care was another area identified at risk. “The world is not prepared for the shortage of doctors in the future,” said Sarah Sharif, founder of Experimental Civics.

She referred to burnout, medical school debt and the growing complexity of AI-enabled medicine as key pressures on the global workforce. Governments must rethink how they regulate innovation, she said. “It's about really thinking through how we do clinical trials, how we regulate those, how we actually think about finding the cures for these diseases with technology," she added.

Beyond health care, several speakers warned that environmental pressures also pose urgent challenges.

Climate change requires 'radical change'

“Climate change is an issue that's going to be affecting us in many more ways than people think,” said Georgios Tzoumas, co-founder of Aura under Prototypes for Humanity, a global initiative showcasing university-driven innovations addressing global challenges.

He said the effect on ecosystems and food chains required a “radical change of thinking" and that “humanity needs to change the way that we think about the world in general".

Despite the warnings, several delegates said this year’s forum was marked by cautious optimism. Ms Gaub described the key theme as “hope", noting that discussions focused not only on risks but also what can be done to shape a more resilient future.

Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
  1. Join parent networks
  2. Look beyond school fees
  3. Keep an open mind
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

Race 3

Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars

Asia Cup 2018 Qualifier

Sunday's results:

  • UAE beat Malaysia by eight wickets
  • Nepal beat Singapore by four wickets
  • Oman v Hong Kong, no result

Tuesday fixtures:

  • Malaysia v Singapore
  • UAE v Oman
  • Nepal v Hong Kong
The%20Specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELamborghini%20LM002%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205.2-litre%20V12%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20450hp%20at%206%2C800rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E500Nm%20at%204%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFive-speed%20manual%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100kph%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%209%20seconds%20(approx)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20210kph%20(approx)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYears%20built%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201986-93%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20vehicles%20built%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20328%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EValue%20today%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24300%2C000%2B%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ARABIAN GULF LEAGUE FIXTURES

Thursday, September 21
Al Dahfra v Sharjah (kick-off 5.35pm)
Al Wasl v Emirates (8.30pm)

Friday, September 22
Dibba v Al Jazira (5.25pm)
Al Nasr v Al Wahda (8.30pm)

Saturday, September 23
Hatta v Al Ain (5.25pm)
Ajman v Shabab Al Ahli (8.30pm)

The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

TEST SQUADS

Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.

Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.

Mica

Director: Ismael Ferroukhi

Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani

3 stars

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go

The flights

There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.

The trip

Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.

The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.

 

Graduated from the American University of Sharjah

She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters

Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks

Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding

 

What is dialysis?

Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.

It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.

There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.

In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.

In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.

It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.

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%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: November 21, 2025, 9:15 AM