Latest news with #AnimalWelfare(Sentience)Act
NDTV
15-07-2025
- Science
- NDTV
AI May Soon Let You Talk To Your Pet, Says New Research Initiative
In a groundbreaking move, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is set to launch the Jeremy Coller Centre for Animal Sentience, the world's first research centre dedicated to scientifically studying the consciousness of animals, according to The Guardian. With operations beginning on September 30, the 4 million Pounds centre will investigate how humans can better understand non-human animals including pets through advanced technologies like artificial intelligence. Among its many interdisciplinary projects, one of the most exciting is the exploration of how AI could potentially enable communication between humans and animals. By decoding behavioural cues and patterns, researchers hope to develop tools that allow pet owners to better interpret what their animals are feeling or trying to express. However, the centre will also study the potential ethical risks and misuses of such technology, as per the news report. The centre will bring together experts from neuroscience, philosophy, veterinary science, AI, law, and behavioural science to study animals ranging from cats and dogs to insects, crabs, and cuttlefish. "We like our pets to display human characteristics and with the advent of AI, the ways in which your pet will be able to speak to you is going to be taken to a whole new level," said Prof Jonathan Birch, the inaugural director of the centre. "But AI often generates made-up responses that please the user rather than being anchored in objective reality. This could be a disaster if applied to pets' welfare," said Birch, whose input to the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act led to it being expanded to include cephalopod mollusks and decapod crustaceans. Birch points to separation anxiety: dog owners often want reassurance that their pet is not suffering when left alone for long periods. Futuristic "translation" apps based on large language models could promise to provide that reassurance, but end up causing harm by telling owners what they want to hear rather than what the animal actually needs. "We urgently need frameworks governing responsible, ethical AI use in relation to animals," said Birch. "At the moment, there's a total lack of regulation in this sphere. The centre wants to develop ethical guidelines that will be recognised globally."
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Should humans industrialize creatures that can feel and suffer? Spain's octopus farm reignites debate and faces global backlash
With about 500 million neurons, Octopuses are considered among the most intelligent animals on Earth. However, a Spanish company's plan to open the world's first commercial octopus farm has triggered global outrage, with scientists, lawmakers, and activists calling it a disturbing step backward in animal welfare and environmental ethics. Nueva Pescanova , a prominent Spanish seafood firm, has proposed farming octopuses at an industrial scale in the Canary Islands to offset declining wild populations. They argue this would meet growing demand and reduce pressure on wild stocks. Also Read: Pacific Sleeper Sharks queue up to feed on cow in South China Sea; first-ever footage captures rare deep sea behavior by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like When the Camera Clicked at the Worst Possible Time Read More But the project has sparked widespread condemnation for attempting to mass-produce one of the ocean's most intelligent and least understood creatures. Live Events Are Octopuses fit for farming? Octopuses possess about 500 million neurons throughout the body. About two-thirds are in their arms, called mini-brains, giving each limb semi-independent control, which has stunned neuroscientists and animal behaviorists alike. The rest are in the doughnut-shaped brain, which is wrapped around the oesophagus and located in the octopus's head. Social media videos showed Octopuses unscrewing lids to escape tanks and even showing individual preferences. It would be controversial to imagine animals with this creative level being raised for slaughter and human consumption, but octopuses are consumed in most parts of the world, too. Many argue that octopuses are too sentient to be farmed at an industrial scale due to their complex intelligence and emotional behavior. The slaughter method Nueva Pescanova's method of killing, immersing live octopuses in ice slurry, has been widely condemned. Dr. Peter Tse, a cognitive neuroscientist, called the technique 'unacceptable,' pointing out that the method causes a slow and painful death. In addition, the company plans to keep 10 to 15 octopuses per cubic meter despite the animals being naturally solitary, raising concerns about aggression and cannibalism in such cramped conditions. The legality The backlash has already prompted political action. Washington state has banned octopus farming . US senators Lisa Murkowski and Sheldon Whitehouse have introduced the OCTOPUS Act , aiming to outlaw it nationwide and block imports of farm-raised octopus. In Spain, protests have erupted in Madrid, and growing pressure is mounting on the European Union to halt the farm's approval process, especially given the UK's legal recognition of octopus sentience in its Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act. Environmental dilemma Nueva Pescanova argues the farm will help preserve wild populations, but critics disagree. Octopuses are carnivores, meaning they must be fed large quantities of fish, worsening the strain on already depleted marine stocks. 'This doesn't reduce pressure on oceans,' said one marine ecologist. 'It shifts the burden elsewhere in the food chain.' The debate goes beyond animal farming to a deeper ethical question: should humans industrialize creatures that can think, feel, and suffer? Cultural phenomena like My Octopus Teacher have further reshaped public perception, portraying octopuses as emotional and trusting beings unsuitable for farming.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
State senator introduces urgent bill to ban controversial farming tactic before it spreads — here's why experts say it can't wait
A newly proposed bill to ban octopus farming in New York state could put an end to the controversial practice before it can get off the ground — or out of the water, as the case may be. The bill, introduced in mid-April, is sponsored by Monica R. Martinez in the state Senate and by Tony Simone in the Assembly. If passed, the legislation would outlaw aquaculture that aims to raise any species of octopus for human consumption. It would also prohibit the business sale, possession, and transport of farmed octopuses in the state. While there are no such octopus farms in New York at present, the state would join California and Washington in preemptively banning the practice, according to World Animal News. In March 2023, the BBC reported that the world's first octopus farm had been proposed in Spain, to the great concern of scientists and animal advocates. The proposal raised a number of environmental and ethical concerns. For one, as WAN noted, because octopuses are carnivorous and "require a high volume of food, about three times their own body weight," overfishing for feed is a risk of commercially farming the creatures. Commercial farming practices could also introduce pollutants and otherwise disrupt delicate marine ecosystems, per WAN. The ethical questions involved are serious as well. Octopuses are curious, highly intelligent, exceptionally skilled creatures. In captivity, they're notorious for breaking out of aquarium tanks. The BBC reported that a 2021 study led to the animals "being recognised as 'sentient beings'" in the United Kingdom's Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act. Attempting to contain them in the sort of system typical of a commercial farm would likely border on cruelty and could lead to concerning behavior. The new bill comes after a pair of laws, also sponsored by Martinez, were passed by the NY legislature to restrict animal trafficking and assign stricter punishments for animal cruelty. If passed, the octopus farming ban would result in a daily fine of $1,000 per offense, according to WAN, and the fines would be collected by the Department of Environmental Conservation. The bill is still in its early stages. Next, it needs to pass through the Environmental Conservation Committee before ultimately it can be brought to votes in the Senate and the Assembly. Should the U.S. government ban all products tested on animals? Absolutely No way Only certain kinds of products Let each state decide Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
