Before this century is out, I think we might find a way of increasing the capacity for certain species to communicate with humans. Whether that will be achieved through genetic engineering or neurotechnology I don't know. But I suspect that one we can communicate with those species, which might include dolphins, dogs, various apes and quite probably the African Grey, we will find that they have much greater intellectual capacity than we give them credit for.
We might even find that their minds are qualitatively different from our own in many ways, so that even if we can communicate using a language that is mutually understandable, we might find their thought processes inscrutable. African greys, dolphins and dogs are very different in lifestyle and behaviour to humans- we might find that we have little in common.
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