AI FOR ANIMALS
2025 CONFERENCE

March 1 & 2, 2025
University of California, Berkeley
Clark Kerr Conference Center

(Virtual Option Available)

CONNECT

LEARN

BUILD

CONNECT LEARN BUILD

THIS CONFERENCE aims to build a multidisciplinary field AROUND how technology can positively impact animals.

Sessions will cover:

• Animal consideration in AI models
• Advocacy and technology
• Interspecies communication
• Precision livestock farming
• Welfare of future digital minds
• And more!

You will Get to:

  • Engage with experts doing innovative work at the intersection of AI and Animals

  • Learn about the latest projects, technology, and policy

  • Participate in skill-building workshops

  • Network with dedicated people and collaborative groups 

  • & more!

Featured Guests

  • Peter Singer

    Professor of Bioethics, Emeritus Princeton University
    (Virtual)

  • Meghan Barrett

    Director, The Barrett Lab for Entomological Research

  • David Pearce

    Philosopher, Bioethicist, Humanity+

  • Jeff Sebo

    Co-Director of the Wild Animal Welfare Program, Director of the Center for Mind, Ethics, and Policy, NYU

  • Sara Beery

    Professor, MIT – Computer Vision for the Environment & AI for Conservation (Virtual)

  • Christopher Berry

    Executive Director, Nonhuman Rights Project

  • Richard Ngo

    AI expert (former OpenAI Governance Team)

  • Robert Long

    Executive Director, Eleos AI
    (formerly FHI)

&

before the conference

Wednesday, Feb 26: Hackathon in SF

Build practical tools and advanced technology for animal advocacy organizations (Feb 1 registration deadline).

Friday, Feb 28: Dinner at Lighthaven

Relaxed dinner with special guests and Bay Area AI researchers (add-on with AI for Animals Conference registration)

Feb 21-23: Effective Altruism Global, Bay Area: Conference for those interested in working on the world’s most pressing problems (Deadline to apply Feb 2nd).

Attendees of the in-person conference at LSE in 2024
Bob Fisher (Rethink Priorities) giving his talk, "Animal Friendly AI = Misaligned AI"
Attendees creating their own unconference schedule
Discussion group at the unconference
Panel on interspecies communication using AI
2024 Unconference/Retreat

advance AI towards a better future for all animals

Testimonials

  • "I found that the unconference sessions led to real, tangible project ideas, and I left feeling like we're on the cusp of something huge for animal welfare!"

    - Aaron Boddy, Chief Operations Officer, Shrimp Welfare Project

  • "AI has the potential to affect nonhuman animals everywhere, and over the past two years, this conference has played a key role in accelerating research about this important and neglected topic. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in AI ethics or animal ethics."

    - Jeff Sebo, Director, NYU Center for Mind, Ethics, and Policy

  • “I loved how the conference brought together numerous groups that don't typically interact. Animal advocates and activists could meet and discuss topics with academics studying precision livestock farming and philosophers researching animal consciousness and digital minds. ”

    - Richie Manandhar-Richardson, Data Scientist & Researcher, Bryant Research & Good Growth Co.

  • “We presented our vision to map the most important sources of farm animal suffering over the next few years... The audience's enthusiasm and interest in our work were truly motivating.”

    Wladimir J. Alonso, Researcher and Director, Center for Welfare Metrics

Frequently Asked questions

  • The event will start in the morning of Saturday March 1, 2025 at UC Berkeley’s Clark Kerr Campus Conference Center and end in the evening of Sunday March 2, 2025.

  • Early bird tickets are $199 for general admission and $75 for those who are students or currently not employed. Supporter tickets with special access to a reception with the speakers is available for $800.

    Ticket prices will increase on Dec 1, 2024.

  • We can mainly offer scholarships for discounted tickets. Travel funding is available on a very limited basis for notable guests who need support. Apply here.

  • We are actively inviting speaker and session proposals. We will also plan to allow general participants to organize their own sessions through an unconference format. Apply here.

  • Yes!

    Exhibitor booths for both days will be $1500 and can be purchased on the same page as registration.

    Sponsorship opportunities are available by request through this form.

  • Yes! And volunteers will also get their ticket price reimbursed. Apply here.

  • We are covering a wide variety of topics including animal consideration in AI models, interspecies communication, precision livestock farming, and welfare of future digital minds.

    In the past, digital minds have been a larger focus of the conference. While we still think this topic is important and welcome sessions and discussions on it, we decided to place more emphasis on animals for this conference for the purpose of generating more practical outcomes in the near future.

  • We are covering a wide variety of topics including animal consideration in AI models, interspecies communication, precision livestock farming, and welfare of future digital minds. This conference aims to build the field of how technology can be used to positively impact animals. This will require multidisciplinary collaboration, which we hope will result from this conference. More concrete outcomes include a repository of tech interventions to help animals, project coordination, stakeholder mapping, and identification of aligned incentives.

  • This event will be a “choose your own adventure” with multiple tracks and session formats including lectures, discussion groups, and networking sessions.

    Attendees have the option to create their own sessions through our parallel unconference.

  • Most budget-friendly, Less vibrant neighborhood (Oakland): Bay View Motel, Palms Motel, Bay Bridge Inn, Signature Inn, Westwind Lodge

    Somewhat cheaper, Vibrant neighborhood: Nash Hotel - close to Downtown Berkeley BART station, 10 min drive/37 min walk to conference

    More expensive, Most convenient: Graduate by Hilton Berkeley, 14 min walk to conference

  • Yes, we will have a ticketed VIP pre-conference dinner on Friday at Lighthaven and open casual social gatherings Saturday and Sunday at a nearby house.

    People are also welcome to add their own events to a list of unofficial satellite events, which we will release 1-2 weeks before the conference.

  • If you have questions that aren’t answered by this page, please reach out to conference@aiforanimals.org

See you there!

University of California, Berkeley
March 1 & 2, 2025

Clark Kerr Conference Center
2601 Warring St, Berkeley, CA 94720

 

Want to volunteer or have a question?conference@aiforanimals.org