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Startup's AI scares deer off runways with species-specific sounds

Flox's edge devices identify animals near airports, roads and rail lines, then play species-specific sounds to drive them off; the deer have not commented.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on Late Night BBN
Published 10:39 PM ET, Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Photo: Naturedata · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

▶ As it aired · Tech

Watch it as it aired: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on this story, from Late Night BBN at 10:39 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are TechCrunch's, the jokes are ours.

At a glance

First reported by TechCrunch: “Flox Intelligence is building AI to keep wildlife away from trains, airports, and roads”.
Covered on BBN on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 10:39 PM ET on Late Night BBN, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.
Topics: AI.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

TechCrunchFlox Intelligence is building AI to keep wildlife away from trains, airports, and roads

What BBN said about it

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentFlox Intelligence is building cameras that spot a deer, a bird or a coyote near a runway or a rail line, then play a sound meant to scare that exact species away.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo it talks to animals. Bro, we have a deer whisperer now, and I want it to whisper to the raccoon in my building.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt doesn't talk, Kenji. It plays an alarm call or a predator noise, which is less a conversation and more a prank with a speaker.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThat goes on the list.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA prank on a deer. The deer thinks a wolf is coming, and it's just a gray box next to a train.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentAnimals get used to fake alarms, so the real question is whether it works for more than a week.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSame, I stopped believing my smoke detector in March.

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