Latest news with #PetBehavior
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Science
- The Guardian
New research centre to explore how AI can help humans ‘speak' with pets
If your cat's sulking, your dog's whining or your rabbit's doing that strange thing with its paws again, you will recognise that familiar pang of guilt shared by most other pet owners. But for those who wish they knew just what was going on in the minds of their loyal companions, help may soon be at hand – thanks to the establishment of first scientific institution dedicated to empirically investigating the consciousness of animals. The Jeremy Coller Centre for Animal Sentience, based at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), will begin its work on 30 September, researching non-human animals, including those as evolutionarily distant from us as insects, crabs and cuttlefish. Harnessing a wide range of interdisciplinary global expertise, the £4m centre's work will span neuroscience, philosophy, veterinary science, law, evolutionary biology, comparative psychology, behavioural science, computer science, economics and artificial intelligence. One of its most eye-catching projects will be to explore how AI can help humans 'speak' with their pets, the dangers of it going wrong – and what we need to do to prevent that happening. '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.' Birch also points to the lack of regulation around animals and driverless cars: 'We have a lot of debate around them not hitting people but we don't talk about them also avoiding cats and dogs.' AI and farming was another urgent issue for the centre. 'Farming is already embracing automation in a huge way and that's going to increase at pace,' Birch said. 'But it is happening without much scrutiny or discussion, which raises huge ethical questions about what the limits are: should farming involve caring relationships with animals? If so, the current direction is not the way in which we want farming to go.' The centre will work with non-governmental organisations to develop guidance, research and codes of practice that can be lobbied for around the world. Jeff Sebo, the director of the Center for Environmental and Animal Protection, at New York University, said issues of animal sentience and welfare, the effects of AI on animals, and public attitudes towards animals were 'among the most important, difficult and neglected issues that we face as a society'. 'Humans share the world with millions of species and quintillions of individual animals, and we affect animals all over the world whether we like it or not,' he said. Prof Kristin Andrews, one of the new centre's trustees, said she believed it could answer what she regards as the biggest question in science: what is human consciousness – and how can it be switched back 'on' in cases of stroke and other medical emergencies? 'We still don't understand what makes humans conscious, or why anyone starts or stops being conscious,' she said. 'But we do know that the way to get answers is to study simple systems first: science has made great strides in genomics and in medicine by studying simple organisms.' Dr Kristof Dhont, another trustee, said he was fascinated by human attitudes towards animal sentience. 'One of the most pressing behavioural challenges of our time is how to close the gap between what people believe about animals and how they actually behave towards them,' he said. 'Most people care deeply about animals but there are all these systems, habits, norms and economic profits that get in the way of translating that into the way we treat animals. 'I want to use behavioural science to understand, for example, why there's resistance to eating cultivated meat even though we all agree that it would save creatures who feel pain from being killed.' Jeremy Coller, whose foundation made the multiyear commitment to the centre, said his aim was to change attitudes in our 'speciesist species'. 'Only when we have a better understanding of how other animals feel and communicate will we be able to acknowledge our own shortcomings in how we treat them,' he said. 'Just as the Rosetta Stone unlocked the secrets of hieroglyphics, I am convinced the power of AI can help us unlock our understanding of how other animals experience their interactions with humans.'
Malaysian Reserve
02-05-2025
- Health
- Malaysian Reserve
Purina Opens Funding Opportunities for Scientific Research Proposals on the Unique Bond between People and Pets
Universities, foundations, charities and NGOs can apply now through August 15, 2025, to receive funding of up to $40,000 for accepted human-animal bond research proposals ST. LOUIS, May 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Purina, a global leader in pet care, opened the application period for its 2026 Purina Sponsorship for Human-Animal Bond Studies (HAB) program, which supports innovative scientific research to deepen the understanding of the unique connections between humans and their pets. Now through August 15, 2025, researchers can submit their proposals for the chance to receive up to $40,000 in research funding from Purina. This year, preferences will be given to proposals exploring the potential benefits of the human-animal bond in the following areas: People in vulnerable situations, such as those in abusive relationships and/or experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder The impact of human-animal interactions on the wellbeing of pets The bond between people and cats 'At Purina, we truly believe that people and pets are better together, and we are invested in understanding how to create stronger bonds and more joyful lives together,' said Francois Martin, M.A., Ph.D., Manager, Global Pet Behavior and Welfare at Purina. 'Through our Human-Animal Bond Studies program, we can better understand the healing power of pets and the variety of ways in which the bonds with our pets impact their lives and ours.' Purina has nearly 500 scientists, pet nutritionists, veterinarians, behaviorists and other credentialed pet experts on staff who are committed to helping pets live longer, healthier lives. Each year, Purina invests more than $100 million in research to drive pet nutrition forward and support the wellbeing of pets, which has led to countless groundbreaking innovations to enrich the lives of cats and dogs. For more information on the program, visit Completed applications must be sent to well-being@ Rules for 2026 Sponsorship Applications Only proposals about cats and/or dogs will be evaluated. Only one proposal per researcher will be evaluated. Research must not be double-funded. Applicants with other corporate affiliations may pose a conflict of interest with Nestlé Purina PetCare's (aka Purina) business. Potential conflicts of interest will be evaluated by Purina. Purina reserves the right to disqualify an applicant/researcher on the grounds of conflict of interest. All research studies will require approval by Purina and the local ethical/animal use committee and must be fully compliant with local and national animal welfare regulations. Purina will only fund non-invasive research studies and procedures consistent with routine veterinary care. We do not participate in any invasive research that causes injury, illness or disease or that results in euthanasia of dogs or cats. All applications must provide a timeline with specific deliverables. All applications must present a detailed budget. Payments to the selected applicants will be divided by Nestlé Purina into pre-determined installments. University overhead cost will be limited to $1,000 USD maximum per application. If the application is accepted, Purina will be acknowledged as a sponsor in all communications about the project. Projects must be completed within a maximum of two years after receiving first installment. A final report must be submitted to Purina in order to receive the final installment. All communications regarding the sponsored projects (e.g., scientific abstracts, peer-reviewed publications) must be submitted to Purina for review before submission. If any intellectual property is generated by the Sponsorship, Purina shall have exclusive rights to negotiate a license for Intellectual Property first. About PurinaNestlé Purina PetCare creates richer lives for pets and the people who love them. Founded in 1894, Purina has helped dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives by offering scientifically based nutritional innovations. Purina manufactures some of the world's most trusted and popular pet care products, including Purina ONE, Pro Plan, Friskies and Tidy Cats. Our more than 11,000 U.S. associates take pride in our trusted pet food, treat and litter brands that feed 46 million dogs and 68 million cats every year. Nearly 500 Purina scientists, veterinarians, and pet care experts ensure our commitment to unsurpassed quality and nutrition. Over the past five years, Purina has contributed more than $150 million towards organizations that bring, and keep, people and pets together, as well as those that help our communities and environment thrive. Purina is part of Nestlé, a global leader in Nutrition, Health and Wellness. For more information, visit or subscribe here to get the latest Purina news.
