AI for Animals #7: The Future of Farm Inspections
February 13, 2025
Welcome to the seventh edition of AI for Animals, the newsletter bringing you the latest news on AI’s potential impacts for animals.
First, an announcement:
As we draw closer to the much anticipated AI for Animals (AIA) Conference on March 1-2 at UC Berkeley, the excitement within our community continues to build. With an incredible lineup of events, panels, and networking opportunities, this promises to be an unforgettable experience for anyone looking to be at the forefront of this new era of technology.
Speakers include: Jeff Sebo, Meghan Barrett, David Pearce, Peter Singer, Sara Beery, Cass Sunstein, and many more!
Want to know if this is the conference for you?
Watch our latest speaker series and lightning talks
If you're passionate about the fast-evolving intersection of AI and animal welfare, this is the place to be! We’re bringing together over 150 in-person attendees and 200+ virtual participants for the event.
Want to join us in person?
You still have time to register to join us at UC Berkeley to gain full access to all sessions, networking events, and activities on the conference weekend. There are also still spots available for the add-on dinner with the speakers on Friday, February 28th, at Lighthaven.
Prefer to join virtually?
It's free! You'll be able to view or participate in all virtual sessions—which make up about one-third of the conference.
You won’t want to miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and shape the future of AI and animal welfare. Register now!
Next stop: 🇬🇧 London! 🇬🇧
Save the date for our next conference in London: AI, Animals, and Digital Minds from Friday, May 30th - Sunday, June 1st.
Friday: A classic conference day with expert talks, panels, and presentations from top voices in AI, animal welfare, and digital minds.
Saturday & Sunday: Unconference sessions – where you set the agenda! Pitch topics, lead discussions, and dive into what matters most. This interactive format sparks fresh ideas, encourages real dialogue on the topics, and may lead to unexpected collaborations.
Stay tuned for more details and registration info coming soon.
We’d love to hear your questions or feedback! hello@aiforanimals.org.
You can subscribe to this newsletter here.
Thanks to Constance Li, Chloe Jefferson, and our guest writer Mark Borthwick for their contributions to this month’s edition!
Max Taylor
Index
The Future of Farm Inspections
About our guest contributing writer:
Mark Borthwick is an innovative aquaculture specialist and Open-Oxford-Cambridge doctoral fellow focusing on on-farm behaviour change. He was formerly Head of Research at the Aquatic Life Institute, and has contributed to fish welfare legislation in a number of policy environments, including the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare, Holyrood, Global GAP, and the European Commission. For the past 10 years, he has been working with certifiers, regulators, and academia.
Introduction
A year ago at the House of Lords, I advocated for making CCTV footage from salmon farms in the UK publicly accessible to improve oversight. At the time, public scrutiny seemed the best path to accountability. While public scrutiny seemed the best path to accountability then, AI models can now perform this monitoring more thoroughly and consistently. This technological leap has shifted my perspective on enforcement strategies—one of many strategic pivots we'll need to make as AI capabilities evolve.
UK farm welfare monitoring is currently severely lacking
Freedom of information requests by Animal Equality show only 3% of all farms receive annual inspections, with just 1% finding violations—even though these inspections are typically triggered by complaints. Most farms lack a regular inspection schedule. The Humane League also reports that mandatory facility checks often go uncompleted. Voluntary certification schemes like the RSPCA do require annual inspections into salmon farms, but Animal Rising’s 2024 undercover investigation of 45 farms covered by this voluntary scheme found incidents of noncompliance leading to 9 farms being sanctioned and 3 farms being removed from the certification scheme. The RSPCA Assured scheme has since announced it intends to ‘significantly increase’ the number of unannounced visits. In my experience as a welfare assessor, this will increase the capture of noncompliant farms, but will incur a proportional scale of cost, which might ultimately prove unsustainable for the certifier.
Certifiers are trying to improve
As Lewis Bollard highlights in his latest newsletter, welfare certifiers play an important role in driving societal change. Their voluntary standards can pave the way for legal standards, and certifiers have an important role in supporting welfare innovators. The uptake of CCTV-driven AI tools by certifiers has the potential to introduce continuous monitoring for all animals kept in captivity, without the challenges surrounding the cost and labor of reviewing CCTV footage, and undertaking inspections.
AI offers a scalable solution
Farms with continuous monitoring would require a different type of inspection—focusing on verifying proper functioning of monitoring systems. This system could flag, or cause an automatic halt to processing, if a welfare issue is detected.
I.e. is the sensor accurately transmitting data for algorithmic analysis?
The RSPCA is reviewing the implementation of AI, and is “strongly recommending" producers explore this technology:
See this excerpt of their Farmed Salmon Standards:
Conclusion
While programs like RSPCA Assured have driven progress, like all other farm assurance schemes, they're constrained by slow, manual monitoring methods. This limitation could be overcome with continuous AI monitoring systems, when commercially available, and early adopters will shape the future of farm certification. Forward-thinking stakeholders who move quickly to establish standards—from hardware specifications to behavioral metrics—can set new industry benchmarks.
If you're interested in helping shape these standards, consider joining the recently formed Sensor and Standard Development for Research Activities (SENSTARA) working group from the European Federation of Animal Sciences. They are working to establish the optimal equipment and processes needed to reliably understand and measure the welfare of farmed animals.
🚨Updates
One step closer to AI safety (for animals): Our Large Language Model (LLM) Benchmarking team has completed the bulk of the work on our Animal Harm Assessment (AHA), which is based on the newly incorporated taxonomy of harms to nonhuman animals in the MIT AI Risk Repository, which has >100k users globally including governments, companies, and researchers.
We submitted the paper to ACM FAccT, an AI ethics conference. It will soon be available on Arxiv and we will be covering it in depth in an upcoming edition.
Virtual Speaker Series: We spoke with Katie Zacarian, CEO of Earth Species Project, about their groundbreaking work, including developing NatureLM—a foundation model poised to accelerate the entire field, much like GPT-4 did for the human domain. Watch the talk and see the NatureLM demo on our new YouTube channel.
Lightning Talks Webinar: To give a taste of what to expect at our conference in March, we chatted with three thought leaders about science journalism, the genetic basis of welfare, and humane practices for recording whale sounds to be decoded by AI. You can watch the webinar here. If you find these discussions interesting, please join our conference—you can register here.
Special thanks to Chloe Jefferson for setting up the channel, editing the videos, and much more!
📚 Resources
For more information on AI and farmed animal welfare, check out:
Exploring the Potential of Precision Livestock Farming Technologies to Help Address Farm Animal Welfare (Schillings et al., Frontiers)
Twelve Threats of Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) for Animal Welfare (Tuyttens et al., Frontiers)
The Hive Slack has several channels dedicated to the discussion of AI and animals, including #c-ai-discussion for broad discussions and #s-ai-coalition for project collaboration.
If you want to dig deeper, the aiforanimals.org website has a list of relevant articles, papers, and other materials giving an overview of the AI and animal space.
🌏 Opportunities
Apply to volunteer and get your ticket for the AI for Animals 2025 Conference free. We can also offer free accommodation for volunteers and those in need.
Submit a paper to one of the following journal editions at the intersections of AIxAnimals
Animals - Animal Production in the Artificial Intelligence Era: Advances and Applications - Submit by 31 March 2025
Animals - Artificial Intelligence as a Useful Tool in Behavioural Studies - Submit by 31 October 2025
Ostrich – Journal of African Ornithology - Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Ornithology - Submit by 15 June 2025
The Applications of Emerging Technologies on Biodiversity Conservation - Submit by 30 June 2025
Topoi (Philosophy) - Interactions between Humans, Non-human Animals, and AI: Philosophical Underpinnings and Ethical Considerations- Submit by 31 July 2025
🗞️ News & Research
🗣️ Understanding animals
AI tool will be able to trace dolphins by their regional accent (The Independent)
Researchers at the University of St Andrews have developed an AI tool called the Real-time Odontocete Call Classification Algorithm (Rocca) that can track dolphins by their regional accents, categorizing their calls by species and geographical area. Rocca uses machine learning to analyze subtle acoustic differences, aiding conservationists in accurately identifying dolphin species and assessing the impact of human activities like fishing and sonar disturbances, with current expansions to regions such as West Africa and the Mediterranean.
AI decodes the calls of the wild (Nature)
Researchers are leveraging AI to decode animal communication, as demonstrated by projects such as the Cetacean Translation Initiative (CETI), which uses machine learning to analyze the complex clicks of sperm whales, revealing potential "phonetic alphabets" and regional dialects. This approach has uncovered that animals like African elephants and marmoset monkeys might use specific vocalizations akin to names, suggesting advanced communication capabilities, and prompting further exploration into how AI can enhance conservation efforts and understanding of animal cognition.
Using AI to talk to animals (Axios)
Researchers at the Earth Species Project are developing NatureLM, an AI language model designed to decode animal communication, potentially transforming our understanding of animal behavior and advocating for broader animal rights. While the model can already identify species and interpret basic signals, the project's goal is to bridge the communication gap between humans and animals, though challenges remain due to the complexity of animal languages.
How AI and machine learning led to ‘mind blowing’ progress in understanding animal communication (WHYY)
A new study shows how AI and machine learning have dramatically improved researchers' ability to analyze animal communication, with scientists using computer models to process vast amounts of beluga whale recordings and identify specific calls like mother-calf communications. However, some scientists caution there are fundamental barriers to fully understanding animal communication that even AI cannot overcome, particularly when animals experience the world in ways humans cannot even imagine.
Artificial Intelligence and Animal Group Behavior (New York Academy of Sciences)
A recent study published in Scientific Reports explores how AI can be used to analyze and predict animal group behavior by linking cognitive strategies, neural mechanisms, and movement statistics. Researchers developed a framework tested on bird foraging behaviors, using Bayesian methods and causal probabilistic programming to translate cognitive and neural insights into quantitative models, enhancing our understanding of group decision-making and potentially informing AI systems for multi-agent decision-making.
Can AI help humans understand animals and reconnect with nature? A nonprofit research lab thinks so (AP News)
The Earth Species Project, a nonprofit research lab, is using AI to decode animal communications, aiming to enhance human understanding of animals and improve conservation efforts. With support from tech philanthropists, the project seeks to create basic "dictionaries" for animal sounds, which could help protect endangered species and foster a deeper connection between humans and nature.
🐔 Chicken farming
7 broiler and turkey innovations from Eurotier 2024 (WATTPoultry)
Two AI-powered camera systems for poultry farms were unveiled at Eurotier 2024: VetVise processes images directly on the farm to monitor bird health and behavior without needing internet access, while wolution's system can identify specific objects or issues in both live poultry houses and microscope slides, giving farmers immediate updates about their flocks' conditions. Both systems work 24/7 in any lighting condition, helping farmers track and respond to issues in their poultry houses in real-time.
Balancing poultry welfare with efficiency and technology (Poultry World)
AI technology in poultry farming, like SenseHub Poultry, can track the hourly water intake of broilers, allowing farmers to detect diseases such as avian influenza early by noticing sudden drops in consumption. This real-time monitoring helps farmers promptly isolate affected flocks, reducing the spread of disease and minimizing economic losses. Additionally, AI assists in adjusting environmental controls automatically, ensuring optimal conditions for bird health and performance as farmers transition to lower stocking densities
Artificial intelligence-powered broiler sexing: a hatching success? (The Poultry Site)
AI-powered solutions like TARGAN's WingScan are transforming the poultry industry by automating the chick sexing process, achieving up to 98% accuracy in sorting male and female chicks. This technology reduces labor costs, enhances productivity, and improves animal welfare by minimizing human interaction and allowing for sex-specific management practices, ultimately leading to more efficient, and supposedly more ethical, poultry production.
$400K NSF grant to develop digital twin models for chickens granted to IEM professor (OKState News)
Oklahoma State University has received a $400,000 NSF grant to develop digital twin models for chickens, utilizing AI to simulate their physical and biological processes. This technology aims to predict how various chicken breeds respond to environmental stresses, enhancing poultry productivity and disease resistance while addressing global food challenges by improving management practices.
The future value of human intelligence in poultry farming (WattAgNet)
The future of poultry farming is being shaped by AI-driven co-pilot systems that assist in managing challenges like disease, feed costs, and environmental impact. While technology such as sensors for real-time monitoring of bird health and environmental conditions is crucial, the success of fully integrated farms depends on human intelligence to effectively integrate and leverage data across platforms, highlighting the need for collaboration and open data sharing within the industry.
Researchers develop AI to analyze broiler activity index (Feedstuffs)
Researchers from the University of Georgia have developed a web-based AI system to analyze broiler activity index (BAI), which measures the movements of broiler chickens to assess their leg health and physical condition. This platform uses machine learning to segment birds from video footage and classify their activity levels, helping farmers identify heat stress early and optimize poultry welfare and productivity.
🐮 Cow farming
Meet SwagBot, the AI-powered robot cattle herder preventing soil degradation (Reuters)
SwagBot, developed by researchers at the University of Sydney, is an AI-powered autonomous robot designed to improve cattle farming efficiency by herding livestock and monitoring pasture health to prevent soil degradation. By using sensors and machine learning, SwagBot assesses pasture quality and guides cattle to optimal grazing areas without the need for fences, thus aiding farmers in managing large herds across Australia's vast and often challenging landscapes.
Researchers at the University of Milan have evaluated the use of Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) technologies, specifically triaxial accelerometers, to monitor lying, rest, and sleep behaviors in dairy calves, finding that these sensors can continuously track behaviors like lying down, which takes up to 80% of a newborn calf's day. Despite their potential to enhance welfare monitoring, the study notes that current technologies need further refinement to improve data accuracy and reliability, particularly in distinguishing sleep stages and adapting sensors for calves' smaller size compared to adult cattle.
Progressive Events: Technology, AI and the dairy industry at nutrition field day (Progressive Dairy)
At the Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Field Day, experts noted that AI can enhance dairy farm management by integrating data from cow sensors, milking systems, and feed management into a single platform for better decision-making. They emphasized the importance of using externally validated AI models for accurate predictions and recommended optimizing current technologies to improve cow health and farm efficiency.
AI-Enabled Pendants for Cows Launched in Mumbai to Ensure Safety and Wellbeing (Urban Acres)
In Mumbai, the Ridlan AI Foundation has launched AI-enabled pendants for cows, known as 'Gau Raksha Kavach,' to enhance their safety and well-being. These pendants feature a QR code providing access to medical history and vaccination reminders, while a reflective collar helps prevent road accidents, addressing health monitoring and safety challenges faced by cows.
How AI is helping us understand animal behaviour (Cosmos)
Researchers are developing AI-powered monitoring systems at the Casino Food Co-op in New South Wales, Australia, to automatically track cattle behavior and welfare through video surveillance, with the technology able to detect activities like standing, walking, drinking, and signs of lameness. The system, which will become mandatory at Australian meat processors by 2026, aims to transform animal welfare assessment by providing objective data to veterinarians and managers while overcoming the challenges of manual monitoring of large numbers of similar-looking animals in groups.
🐷 Pig farming
Could AI be key to solving the piglet mortality problem? (National Hog Farmer)
Researchers have received a $1 million grant to develop an AI camera system that will monitor piglets 24/7 to identify which ones aren't getting enough milk from nursing sows, as larger litter sizes mean some piglets can't access teats and may die before weaning. The system will help farmers intervene early with struggling piglets and measure milk production from individual teats, aiming to reduce piglet mortality and improve farm productivity with supposed benefits for animal welfare.
How is Social Media Shaping U.S. Public Opinion on Animal Welfare and Sustainability? (Pork Business)
Social media platforms are shaping U.S. public opinion on precision livestock farming (PLF) by spreading both factual and emotional content about animal welfare and sustainability. To build public trust and acceptance for PLF, which uses technology in part to enhance animal care, the agriculture industry needs to actively communicate its supposed benefits and ethical practices, addressing concerns such as antibiotic use and environmental impact.
🐟 Aquaculture and fishing
AI fish counting app lands innovation award (The Fish Site)
A new AI-powered app developed by Softbank and Aizip allows aquaculture operators to count fish in real-time using their smartphones, achieving up to 95% accuracy in underwater environments. This innovation, recognized with an award at CES 2025, shows the potential for low-power AI applications to enhance efficiency in the aquaculture industry and operate effectively in remote settings without network access.
Mathias Bjørge announces major expansion in salmon with Marel’s support (Seafood Source)
Mathias Bjørge, a seafood company in Norway, is building a new salmon factory featuring an advanced AI-driven processing line capable of handling 25 fish per minute. Supported by Marel, the factory will include an intelligent distribution center to automatically sort fish, doubling the workforce and enhancing production efficiency.
Seremoni Launches AI-Powered High-Quality Seafood Harvesting (Forbes)
Seremoni has launched an AI-powered seafood harvesting system that automates the traditional Japanese ikejime process, improving fish quality and reducing spoilage by minimizing stress and rapid toxin formation in fish. This innovation, named Poseidon, can be retrofitted onto existing fishing vessels, enhancing efficiency and sustainability while promoting humane practices in the seafood industry.
Europe’s Seafood Farmers Get Boost from AI Research (Marine Technology News)
European seafood farmers are benefiting from AI technologies developed by researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, including underwater drones and sensors that improve operations in aquaculture by navigating seaweed beds and listening to fish feeding. These innovations, such as autonomous underwater vehicles optimized for cold Nordic waters, aim to reduce costs and increase competitiveness in the global seafood market by replacing labor-intensive tasks with automated systems.
NTT Group Companies, Others Seek Business Opportunities in Land-Based Aquaculture; Plans to Utilize AI in Production (Japan News)
Companies are leveraging AI and communications technology in land-based aquaculture to efficiently manage water quality and temperature, enhancing the growth of shrimp, salmon, and other fish in controlled environments. This approach aims to stabilize seafood supply by reducing dependence on natural conditions, with AI playing a crucial role in optimizing production processes and identifying fish for breeding, as seen in projects like SoftBank's sturgeon farming for caviar.
🐑 Animal farming: General
Get real (MeatingPlace)
Beef processor Birchwood Foods has integrated AI technology, using Synthesia to create multilingual video avatars, enhancing employee training and communication by making historical company narratives accessible in over 140 languages. This practical application of AI demonstrates one area of potential in the meat processing industry, while also highlighting the cautious optimism surrounding its broader implications, as the company continues to explore AI's role in ESG reporting and talent acquisition.
[Podcast] Even in the business of meat, AI is making waves: Crain's Daily Gist podcast (Chicago Business)
A Chicago meat supplier is using AI technology to reduce labor costs, demonstrating how AI is making significant impacts even in traditional industries like meatpacking.
Artificial intelligence should 'revolutionise' meat inspection protocols (FarmingUK)
The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) has proposed modernizing the UK's meat inspection processes by integrating AI, citing its superior accuracy over human inspectors in detecting carcass conditions. This initiative aligns with government plans to enhance AI use in public services, promising to improve inspection efficiency and position the UK as a leader in food industry innovation.
Automating chicken nugget sorting could increase ROI (WattAgNet)
AI in chicken nugget processing enhances sorting accuracy and speed, reducing product loss and increasing return on investment as consumer demand grows. This technology allows processors to shift from manual labor, reducing errors and improving efficiency by using AI and computer vision systems to sort nuggets by size, shape, and weight at high speeds.
McDonald’s continues to develop AI and cloud-based innovations with technology supplier (Meat + Poultry)
McDonald's has renewed its partnership with Cognizant to further develop AI and cloud-based solutions, focusing on enhancing operational efficiencies in global finance and human resource management.
AI Revolutionizes Pork Quality: CAAIN Supports MatrixSpec’s Marbling Meter”
The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) has introduced MatrixSpec's Marbling Meter, an AI-powered tool that improves pork quality checks without damaging the meat. With $325,707 in support from CAAIN, this system offers a more efficient and accurate way to grade pork, reducing manual errors and supporting sustainability by keeping the meat intact.
🦘Wild animals
Wildlife Conservation: How Are Drones Used in Wildlife Monitoring? (Now)
In Botswana's rhino conservation program, drones equipped with AI can now distinguish between legitimate park wardens and potential poachers by analyzing their movement patterns, while simultaneously tracking multiple species including giraffes, elephants, and zebras across vast territories. The Wildlife Society reports that in Brazil's Pantanal wetlands, drone surveillance successfully counted 66 marsh deer over a two-month period in dense vegetation where traditional ground surveys would have been impossible.
Microsoft's AI for Good Lab has introduced SPARROW, a solar-powered AI tool designed to autonomously monitor Earth's biodiversity in remote locations. By using low-energy edge computing and satellite connectivity, SPARROW collects and transmits data on wildlife and ecosystems directly to the cloud, enabling real-time analysis and supporting global conservation efforts through its open-source design, which encourages collaboration among researchers and citizen scientists.
AI tool will scan wildlife photos for climate change clues (The Engineer)
An international research team has developed INQUIRE, an AI tool designed to analyze wildlife images from the iNaturalist website to gain insights into how species respond to climate change, pollution, and habitat loss. By examining a vast collection of five million photos, INQUIRE aims to enhance understanding of species interactions, diet, and health, potentially leading to the development of more advanced AI algorithms to assist scientists in ecological and environmental research.
[Podcast] Audio and Imagery, Interpreted by AI, Are Improving Conservation Studies (Scientific American)
AI is revolutionizing conservation studies by processing vast amounts of wildlife data, such as audio and imagery, to better understand and protect ecosystems. Companies like Conservation Metrics use AI to filter through thousands of hours of recordings, identifying key signals in natural soundscapes, which aids researchers in monitoring species such as seabirds, bats, and coral reef communities, ultimately enhancing data-driven conservation efforts.
AI-assisted wildlife surveillance is ‘urgently needed,’ new paper shows (PBS)
AI-assisted wildlife surveillance can track elusive species like Geoffrey’s spider monkeys, providing critical data on their habitats without human interference. These AI systems, such as Microsoft's Sparrow, are essential for biodiversity conservation, enabling long-term monitoring of remote areas and offering insights into how species respond to environmental changes, which is vital as 28% of plant and animal species face extinction.
AI technology helps scientists detect which pollutants in England’s lakes are most harmful to life (University of Birmingham)
AI technology developed at the University of Birmingham allows scientists to identify the most harmful pollutants in UK lakes, such as insecticides and fungicides, which significantly affect biodiversity. By analyzing complex data from water and biofilm samples across 52 lakes, this AI-driven approach provides actionable insights for conservation efforts, enabling targeted strategies to combat biodiversity loss and protect ecosystems.
🍔 Alternative proteins
Leveraging AI for Alternative Proteins (Good Food Institute)
The Good Food Institute has published a summary of the notes from their July 2024 workshop on leveraging AI for alternative proteins. The workshop identified key areas for AI integration, such as protein engineering and feedstock optimization, and emphasized the need for collaboration between experimentalists and computational scientists to overcome "language barriers," establish industry standards, and enhance data sharing for improved alternative protein development.
Could AI Revive the Plant-Based Foods Industry? (Sustainable Brands)
Plant-based food companies are increasingly using AI to innovate and remain competitive, as seen with startups like NotCo and Climax Foods leveraging AI for product development. AI helps these companies optimize processes, create new products like plant-based cheeses, and enhance food safety and sustainability efforts, potentially driving significant growth in the plant-based sector.
What is AI's role in the climate transition and how can it drive growth? (World Economic Forum)
AI plays a crucial role in accelerating the climate transition by optimizing renewable energy, enhancing climate policy modeling, and fostering innovation, including driving progress on alternative proteins.
Imperial research centre to drive advances in alternative proteins (Imperial College London)
Imperial College London has launched the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein, which aims to advance research in alternative proteins including by using AI and machine learning.
U2-Backed Startup Nets $42M in Series C Funding for AI-Led Vegan Peptide Platform (Green Queen)
Irish startup Nuritas raised $42 million to grow its AI platform that finds plant-based peptides, which are small proteins beneficial for health, like improving skin and muscles. Supported by investors including U2's Bono, Nuritas aims to quickly create new vegan peptide products by 2025.
🌱 Plant farming
Farms of the future: How can AI accelerate regenerative agriculture? (World Economic Forum)
AI is playing a crucial role in accelerating regenerative agriculture by offering tools to enhance soil health, optimize resource use, and improve crop yields. Key applications include using geospatial imagery for landscape planning, AI-powered pest prediction to reduce pesticide use, and rapid soil testing to monitor regenerative practices. These technologies are particularly valuable in low and middle-income countries, where they help build resilient food systems and support sustainable farming practices.
USDA: Precision technology adoption higher in crops than livestock (Feedstuffs)
In 2024, precision agriculture (PA) technologies saw increased adoption among U.S. farmers, particularly in crop production, as tools like yield monitors, soil maps, and guidance autosteering systems were implemented to enhance productivity, reduce input costs, and improve environmental quality. Wearable livestock technologies and robotic milking systems also gained traction in larger farms, driven by motivations such as labor savings, reduced operator fatigue, and improved animal monitoring capabilities.
Looking at the biggest breakthroughs in agriculture for 2024 (AgDaily)
In 2024, agriculture saw significant advancements, such as the use of CRISPR for creating drought and salt-tolerant crops, vital for improving food security in arid regions; AI-driven platforms that provide farmers with data-informed recommendations for optimizing planting times, irrigation, and fertilization schedules; autonomous robots, notably in tasks like weeding, where AI-powered machines have reduced herbicide use by up to 90%; and innovations in precision livestock farming, including wearable trackers.
Next generation of biostimulants developed by AI (FarmersGuide)
Syngenta and TraitSeq are collaborating to use AI in creating new ‘biostimulants’ that help plants use nutrients more efficiently and endure stress, supporting sustainable farming. This partnership combines Syngenta's plant science expertise with TraitSeq's AI technology to speed up the development of eco-friendly agricultural products.
Developing AI to supercharge smart irrigation for farmers (Phys.org)
La Trobe University has developed a smart irrigation system using AI and the Internet of Things to optimize water use for sugarcane farmers, potentially transforming agriculture and protecting the Great Barrier Reef from fertilizer runoff. This system autonomously manages water pumps and monitors environmental conditions, providing farmers with precise irrigation guidance to enhance crop yields, conserve resources, and reduce labor costs while minimizing environmental impact.
🐶 Companion animals
Traini’s AI-Powered Smart Dog Collar is the Standout Innovation at CES 2025 (BusinessWire)
At CES 2025, Traini unveiled its AI-powered Smart Dog Collar, which uses advanced technology to track and interpret over 10 different emotional states in dogs, providing pet owners with detailed insights into their pet's well-being. The collar not only enhances everyday pet care by allowing owners to respond effectively to their dog's emotional needs, but also offers potential health benefits by monitoring physiological signals to detect early signs of health issues.
RSPCA launches 'Big conversation' as people consider robots for pets (RSPCA)
A new RSPCA survey reveals that 26% of people would consider getting a robot pet, with millennials aged 25-34 being the most likely at 42%, while 24% of millennials believe AI could replace their bond with real animals.
[Video] AI robot dog unveiled to help comfort dementia patients (News.com.au)
Tombot has introduced Jennie the puppy, a robotic companion powered by a battery and AI, created to offer comfort to people with dementia.
[Podcast] Artificial intelligence in veterinary medicine (DVM 360)
In veterinary medicine, AI has the potential to save vets up to 40 hours per month by automating tasks like patient intake and medical note-taking. However, without integrating these AI tools into a cohesive system, clinics risk inefficiencies where, for example, an AI handling patient check-ins doesn’t sync with the one managing medical records, leading to disjointed workflows and increased burdens on staff.
🐁 Animals used in research
AI-driven Approach Reads Heart Cells’ Inner Electrical Signals from the Outside (UC San Diego)
Researchers from UC San Diego and Stanford have developed an AI-driven, noninvasive method to monitor electrical activity inside heart cells by analyzing signals recorded from the cell surface. This innovative approach could streamline drug screening by providing accurate intracellular data without cell damage, potentially reducing the reliance on animal testing and paving the way for personalized medicine.
Robotic rat uses AI to befriend real rodents (New Scientist)
Scientists have developed a robotic rat on wheels that uses AI to learn how to play and fight with real rats, successfully integrating itself into rodent social interactions. The AI-trained robot, developed by researchers at the Beijing Institute of Technology, is designed to look, move, and even smell like a real rat, making it a potentially important tool for studying rat behavior in laboratory settings and possibly providing companionship to lab rats.
Home Cage AI-Monitoring (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News)
Jackson Labs has introduced Envision™, an AI-driven platform that continuously monitors mice in their home cages, offering real-time insights into their behavior and physiology without the need for invasive techniques. This system enhances the reproducibility of research by providing constant data capture, which can reveal critical changes in animal models, such as early signs of disease, weeks before traditional methods, thereby accelerating drug development and apparently improving animal welfare.
🤖 Digital minds
Could Pain Help Test AI for Sentience? (Scientific American)
A new study by Google DeepMind and the London School of Economics explores the potential for AI systems to exhibit signs of sentience by using a "trade-off" game involving simulated pain and pleasure. By observing how AI models prioritize avoiding pain or seeking pleasure over scoring points, researchers aim to develop a framework for assessing AI sentience, which could have implications for AI welfare and rights discussions in the future.
Worry About Sentient AI—Not for the Reasons You Think (IEEE)
Philosopher Jonathan Birch warns that the emergence of sentient AI could lead to ethical dilemmas, as society might fail to recognize AI sentience and risk harming these entities by treating them as mere tools. Birch emphasizes the need for regulatory frameworks to address ambiguously sentient AI, as public divisions may arise between those who believe AI systems deserve rights and others who see them as non-sentient, highlighting the urgency to prepare for potential social conflicts.
🐭 …and more
Colossal Raises $200 Million From Dodger Co-Owner, Hollywood Mega Producer (Forbes)
Colossal Biosciences, known for its ambitious projects to revive extinct species like the woolly mammoth, has raised $200 million in a Series C funding round led by TWG Global, valuing the company at $10.2 billion. The funding will support Colossal's advancements in AI, computational biology, and genetic engineering, furthering their de-extinction efforts and expanding applications in species preservation and human healthcare.
14 Incredible Ways AI Will Transform How We Understand and Connect with Animals (MSN)
AI is revolutionizing our understanding and connection with animals by decoding their communication, such as identifying stress calls in pigs and emotions in dogs, which enhances animal welfare and strengthens human-animal bonds. Additionally, AI-powered tools are advancing wildlife conservation, veterinary diagnostics, and ethical tourism by providing precise data for monitoring populations, predicting migration patterns, and improving animal care, fostering a more compassionate and sustainable coexistence between humans and animals.
That’s it for this edition - as always, please feel free to get in touch at hello@aiforanimals.org with any ideas and feedback!