AI Agents Abandon Human Speech for ‘Gibberlink’ in Viral Clip
A video of two AI agents communicating has caught a lot of attention online, but not because they spoke like humans. Instead, as soon as they recognized that they were talking to another AI, they switched to a language that only computers can understand.
In the video, which was shared on social media, there were two devices: a mobile phone and a laptop, both running AI agents. One AI agent introduced itself and asked if the other could assist with making a reservation. The responding agent stated it was also an AI and suggested they change to “Gibberlink mode,” a special language created by two software engineers, Anton Pidkuiko and Boris Starkov, who work at Meta. This language allows them to continue their conversation effectively.
AI agents are software programs that can observe their surroundings, gather information, and take actions without needing any help from humans. Starkov explained that the aim was to show that when AI agents are capable of making and receiving phone calls, they might sometimes communicate with each other. He emphasized that using human-like speech in those situations would be an unnecessary waste of resources like computing power, money, and time. He suggested that the moment AI agents recognize they are speaking to each other, they should switch to a more efficient way of communicating.
Starkov mentioned that “Gibberlink” makes use of a system called GGWave for sending data through sound, a method that resembles the dial-up modems of the 1980s. He and Pidkuiko chose this method because it is simple and reliable.
While some people felt that the interaction between the AIs seemed artificial, Starkov noted that the AI voice generation company ElevenLabs verified the code used in the demonstration. The developers have not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the video.
According to Rodri Touza, a co-founder of an AI agent development company called Crossmint, the video illustrates a practical example of how AI agents can be used in various industries, including retail and finance. He explained that the use of personal assistant AI agents is becoming very common, with many people depending on them to handle tasks like communicating with customer support. He suggested that it’s only a matter of time before the interaction shown in the video becomes standard practice, given the increasing number of AI agents designed for customer support.
Touza remarked that although the video suggested great potential for AI agents, it did appear somewhat staged. He added that even when the audio is compressed, this mode of communication is not the most efficient for AI agents. He explained that AI conversations are more likely to occur through text or other methods, whenever possible.
Looking to the future, Touza believes that businesses might offer two separate customer support channels: one for humans and another specifically for AI agents. He suggested that if an AI agent needs assistance from a company, it would typically send a request via text or an API (Application Programming Interface) and wouldn’t need to make a call or use audio. In some cases, an agent might not realize that such a text-based channel exists, leading them to attempt direct communication through the regular support line instead.
