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https://www.positive.news/environment/we-want-to-change-the-way-humans-relate-to-the-rest-of-the-natural-world/>
"A cutting-edge research centre that’s designed to transform our understanding
of animal feelings and rewrite the rules on how we live alongside them will
launch this autumn at the London School of Economics.
The Jeremy Coller Centre for Animal Sentience is backed by £4m in funding from
the Jeremy Coller Foundation, the philanthropic vehicle of private equity
entrepreneur Jeremy Coller. The centre’s inaugural director, Prof Jonathan
Birch, said the world-first facility would be a place for ‘ethical moonshots’,
which will strive to put Britain back at the forefront of animal welfare.
“Let’s make a world in which all sentient beings are respected, even the
smallest ones,” he said.”
“Our goal is to use the emerging science of animal minds to design better
policies, laws, and ways of caring for other animals,” he said. “Our centre …
won’t change everything overnight, but it can change the conversation in the UK
and beyond – and help us rediscover who we are.”
The project will bring together top thinkers from fields such as philosophy,
neuroscience, artificial intelligence and biology. The shared research will
focus initially on three priorities: devising frameworks for the ethical use of
AI in relation to animals, revamping welfare laws to safeguard insects and
other invertebrates, and shaping information campaigns to shift public
attitudes and behaviour.
Birch said Britain had long prided itself in taking a strong stance on animal
welfare, but pointed to the industrialisation of agriculture as an example of
how we have lost our way. “We think of ourselves as a nation of animal lovers.
But more recently we seem to have lost our sense of ambition,” he said.
“Progress has stalled and is, in some areas, reversing. Farmed animals and
farmers alike are becoming cogs in ferocious corporate machines that put profit
before care, compassion and dignity.”
Birch suggested advances in AI presented both a risk to animal welfare and a
revolutionary tool for helping us understand our animal neighbours. He said his
research colleagues would be exploring ways to limit its potential to abuse the
natural world. At the same time, it could help decode animal communication and
help us better understand what creatures want.
“We want to change the way humans relate to the rest of the natural world,”
said Birch. “Some might say this is an impossible dream, but the boundary
between the ‘possible’ and the allegedly ‘impossible’ is one we aim to move."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
