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Beloved Chimp Ai Passes, Leaving Legacy of Intelligence

1/12/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Ai, a 49-year-old chimpanzee at a Kyoto University institute, died from old age and organ failure.
Ai participated in the Ai Project, which explored primate intelligence.
She could recognize over 100 Chinese characters, the English alphabet, Arabic numerals, and 11 colors.
She died on January 9, surrounded by staff, and her work advanced research on perception, learning, and memory.

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Story summary

Ai, a 49-year-old chimpanzee at a Kyoto University institute, died from old age and organ failure.
Ai participated in the Ai Project, which explored primate intelligence.
She could recognize over 100 Chinese characters, the English alphabet, Arabic numerals, and 11 colors.
She died on January 9, surrounded by staff, and her work advanced research on perception, learning, and memory.