Toughest animal on earth revealed by AI after terrifying virtual fight pits 256 species against each other

THE African elephant is the planet’s toughest animal even beating a ferocious Siberian tiger in a simulated fight.

Scientists used advanced AI technology to find out which of nature’s beasts was truly king of the jungle.

And the elephant, the largest animal on Earth, came out on top in a virtual tournament of 256 animals - beating the tiger in the final.

It used its tusks, four-metre height and 10-tonne weight to defeat a saltwater crocodile, which took third place, a colossal squid and an African rock python.

A hippo came fourth in the bizarre AI contest, followed by a leopard and a tiger shark.

A polar bear was seventh.

Wildlife expert Dr Dheer, told Science Illustrated magazine: “The elephant’s huge size, combined with its strength and intelligence, has long placed it at the top of the animal kingdom.”

Animal Match-up which arranged the “fights” said: “Our simulation was meticulously engineered, utilising the chatGPT API to analyse each animal's distinctive attributes - size, weight, strength, speed, offensive, and defensive capabilities.

“We created an arena where these magnificent creatures clashed in the closest approximation to real-world scenarios.”

The magazine said of the elephant: “Displaying unparalleled offensive and defensive capabilities, it conquered with eight wins and no losses, highlighting its dominance against skilled predators.”

It described the Siberian tiger, which was only beaten by the elephant, as “a symbol of ferocity and agility”.

The saltwater crocodile was “an aquatic behemoth” while the hippo, with its “deceptively powerful bite and territorial nature”.

But Dr Dheer, who now works for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, cautioned: “It is very difficult to know how some animals would fare against each other.

“This is, after all, a qualified experiment in which artificial intelligence makes educated guesses about how the battles would play out.”