Scientists are using an autonomous underwater robot to track sperm whale conversations in real time, using listening to their voices. The robot, Project CETI, listens for whales via four hydrophones and navigates itself towards them using a feature called backseat driver. The system can make decisions in real-time, allowing scientists to stay with a single whale for extended periods, potentially months. This could help answer longstanding questions about how sperm whales communicate and reveal how they react to human activity. The technology could also inform policy decisions about when to reduce ship speeds, reroute traffic or implement fishing restrictions.