First of all, I want to emphasise that I see value in both approaches—advocating for the abolition of AI in factory farms and pushing for welfare-oriented reforms. These strategies are not contradictory, rather, they can complement each other to achieve broader progress. Radical proposals shift the Overton window, making moderate reforms appear more reasonable, while moderate approaches secure practical wins and build momentum for more ambitious goals.
That said, I remain skeptical that AI in factory farms will have a net-positive impact on animals. The gap between technological development in academia and its real-world implementation in industry has historically favoured profit maximisation at the expense of welfare. For example, CRISPR gene editing was initially intended to address genetic defects but has instead enabled selective breeding that exacerbates welfare issues—like chickens bred to grow so quickly their bodies cannot support their weight.
The argument that factory farming cannot get worse through further optimisation strikes me as overly optimistic. AI is already contributing to worsening conditions:
Historically, unforeseen consequences of new technologies—like antibiotics enabling extreme overcrowding—have harmed animals, and it’s unrealistic to assume that future AI breakthroughs won’t follow similar patterns. This research paper outlining 12 harms caused by precision livestock farming provides a useful starting point for thinking through some of these concerns.
On the question of bans, I agree that such campaigns are unlikely to succeed in the near term in the U.S., but the political dynamics in other regions—like Europe, Australia, and New Zealand—are different. In these contexts, smaller political parties (e.g., animal justice and green parties) hold influence and could plausibly campaign for bans or significant restrictions on AI in factory farms.
Importantly, campaigns for a ban have value beyond their immediate outcomes. They can:
Build broader coalitions across political divides, uniting meat industry labor unions (concerned about job losses) with environmental and animal welfare advocates.
Drive moderate reforms by setting ambitious demands, which create space for compromise and incremental progress.
Establish global precedents that legitimise concerns about AI and animal welfare, shifting the political landscape toward stronger regulations and, eventually, abolition.
In short, while a ban may not be immediately tractable, campaigning for one could yield significant benefits: building coalitions, achieving meaningful reforms, and paving the way for larger victories down the line. Ultimately, both approaches—welfare reforms and abolition—can reinforce one another, driving the systemic change we all aim for.
Hi Sam, Thank you for sharing your thoughts. You mentioned that AI is already contributing to worsening conditions, but I’m not fully convinced that the examples you provided support this claim. Both examples seem to reflect broader trends of technological intensification, rather than generative AI specifically (which wasn’t available at the time those developments occurred). My focus is on generative AI, while other forms like machine learning and deep learning are already deeply embedded in industry practices.
That said, my main point remains: other things being equal, and acknowledging that factory farms are, unfortunately, a current reality, I hold an optimistic view of AI’s introduction into the industry: AI can monitor and address key production factors that overlap with welfare concerns, such as body scores, heat stress at the individual level, and the detection of injuries or diseases, far more effectively than traditional methods.
Rather than advocating for the abolition of AI in factory farming, I believe we should focus on campaigning for transparency. Specifically, the data gathered by AI and other monitoring technologies should be made accessible to independent stakeholders. This would create greater accountability and improve oversight.
Transparency-focused legislation is more plausible than bans on AI across an entire sector. It’s difficult to argue against the idea that the food industry should be transparent about its non-proprietary practices, particularly when animal welfare is concerned. While I’m not naive about existing challenges, such as ag-gag laws and potential loopholes, the chances of passing transparency laws are higher than prohibiting the use of technology outright.
Thanks for your reply and for clarifying your perspective. I do agree that the most harmful applications of PLF technology we’re currently seeing are driven by machine learning and deep learning, rather than generative AI. When I refer to AI in factory farming, I’m using the term in its broader sense to include these technologies as well—beyond just large language models specifically.
On the main point, I think campaigns for restrictions or bans on AI in factory farming can actively strengthen the push for transparency, rather than being at odds with it.
Broadly speaking, transparency campaigns without accompanying pressure tend to fail across cause areas. Companies are unlikely to willingly share data unless there’s significant public scrutiny or regulatory threat. Calls for a ban increase that scrutiny by raising public awareness about the risks AI poses to animals, highlighting the need for accountability and uniting broad coalitions that increase political power.
The risk, if the movement focuses solely on promoting “positive” uses of PLF, is that we create an environment where welfare washing and complacency thrive. Companies will only adopt welfare improvements where they align with profitability, and even then, these measures are often incidental rather than intentional. In many cases, welfare “improvements” serve to entrench factory farming further, creating the illusion of progress whilst masking systemic harm. For example, technologies that reduce disease outbreaks may allow producers to justify increasing stocking densities, leading to even greater overall suffering, despite the initial appearance of progress.
To meaningfully challenge these systems, we need radical counterpressure—calls for bans or restrictions. Without this counterbalance, we increase the probability that AI will cement factory farming’s dominance rather than dismantle it. History shows us that meaningful action—particularly changes that hurt industry interests—rarely happens without radical demands to push the boundaries of what’s politically acceptable.
Campaigns for bans aren’t in opposition with calls for transparency, they’re a strategic neccessity in achieving them. They apply the pressure needed to drive reforms, expose harmful practices, and keep the ultimate goal—fighting factory farming—at the center of the conversation. Without this pressure, transparency risks becoming toothless, co-opted as a tool for welfare-washing or superficial improvements that merely serve industry interests. Coupling bold demands for bans with transparency-focused efforts ensures that any improvements are not only genuine and accountable, but also prevent the illusion of progress from entrenching the very systems we aim to dismantle.
In this way, the two strategies can complement each other: bold calls for bans provide the pressure and visibility needed to make transparency campaigns more effective.
Hi @Wladimir J. Alonso and @saulius,
First of all, I want to emphasise that I see value in both approaches—advocating for the abolition of AI in factory farms and pushing for welfare-oriented reforms. These strategies are not contradictory, rather, they can complement each other to achieve broader progress. Radical proposals shift the Overton window, making moderate reforms appear more reasonable, while moderate approaches secure practical wins and build momentum for more ambitious goals.
That said, I remain skeptical that AI in factory farms will have a net-positive impact on animals. The gap between technological development in academia and its real-world implementation in industry has historically favoured profit maximisation at the expense of welfare. For example, CRISPR gene editing was initially intended to address genetic defects but has instead enabled selective breeding that exacerbates welfare issues—like chickens bred to grow so quickly their bodies cannot support their weight.
The argument that factory farming cannot get worse through further optimisation strikes me as overly optimistic. AI is already contributing to worsening conditions:
The rise of 26-story AI-powered pig farms in China, where extreme intensification creates severe welfare risks.
The replacement of soy-based feed with black soldier flies housed in AI-automated containers for chickens, further entrenching exploitative systems.
Historically, unforeseen consequences of new technologies—like antibiotics enabling extreme overcrowding—have harmed animals, and it’s unrealistic to assume that future AI breakthroughs won’t follow similar patterns. This research paper outlining 12 harms caused by precision livestock farming provides a useful starting point for thinking through some of these concerns.
On the question of bans, I agree that such campaigns are unlikely to succeed in the near term in the U.S., but the political dynamics in other regions—like Europe, Australia, and New Zealand—are different. In these contexts, smaller political parties (e.g., animal justice and green parties) hold influence and could plausibly campaign for bans or significant restrictions on AI in factory farms.
Importantly, campaigns for a ban have value beyond their immediate outcomes. They can:
Build broader coalitions across political divides, uniting meat industry labor unions (concerned about job losses) with environmental and animal welfare advocates.
Drive moderate reforms by setting ambitious demands, which create space for compromise and incremental progress.
Establish global precedents that legitimise concerns about AI and animal welfare, shifting the political landscape toward stronger regulations and, eventually, abolition.
In short, while a ban may not be immediately tractable, campaigning for one could yield significant benefits: building coalitions, achieving meaningful reforms, and paving the way for larger victories down the line. Ultimately, both approaches—welfare reforms and abolition—can reinforce one another, driving the systemic change we all aim for.
Hi Sam,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. You mentioned that AI is already contributing to worsening conditions, but I’m not fully convinced that the examples you provided support this claim. Both examples seem to reflect broader trends of technological intensification, rather than generative AI specifically (which wasn’t available at the time those developments occurred). My focus is on generative AI, while other forms like machine learning and deep learning are already deeply embedded in industry practices.
That said, my main point remains: other things being equal, and acknowledging that factory farms are, unfortunately, a current reality, I hold an optimistic view of AI’s introduction into the industry: AI can monitor and address key production factors that overlap with welfare concerns, such as body scores, heat stress at the individual level, and the detection of injuries or diseases, far more effectively than traditional methods.
Rather than advocating for the abolition of AI in factory farming, I believe we should focus on campaigning for transparency. Specifically, the data gathered by AI and other monitoring technologies should be made accessible to independent stakeholders. This would create greater accountability and improve oversight.
Transparency-focused legislation is more plausible than bans on AI across an entire sector. It’s difficult to argue against the idea that the food industry should be transparent about its non-proprietary practices, particularly when animal welfare is concerned. While I’m not naive about existing challenges, such as ag-gag laws and potential loopholes, the chances of passing transparency laws are higher than prohibiting the use of technology outright.
Thanks for your reply and for clarifying your perspective. I do agree that the most harmful applications of PLF technology we’re currently seeing are driven by machine learning and deep learning, rather than generative AI. When I refer to AI in factory farming, I’m using the term in its broader sense to include these technologies as well—beyond just large language models specifically.
On the main point, I think campaigns for restrictions or bans on AI in factory farming can actively strengthen the push for transparency, rather than being at odds with it.
Broadly speaking, transparency campaigns without accompanying pressure tend to fail across cause areas. Companies are unlikely to willingly share data unless there’s significant public scrutiny or regulatory threat. Calls for a ban increase that scrutiny by raising public awareness about the risks AI poses to animals, highlighting the need for accountability and uniting broad coalitions that increase political power.
The risk, if the movement focuses solely on promoting “positive” uses of PLF, is that we create an environment where welfare washing and complacency thrive. Companies will only adopt welfare improvements where they align with profitability, and even then, these measures are often incidental rather than intentional. In many cases, welfare “improvements” serve to entrench factory farming further, creating the illusion of progress whilst masking systemic harm. For example, technologies that reduce disease outbreaks may allow producers to justify increasing stocking densities, leading to even greater overall suffering, despite the initial appearance of progress.
To meaningfully challenge these systems, we need radical counterpressure—calls for bans or restrictions. Without this counterbalance, we increase the probability that AI will cement factory farming’s dominance rather than dismantle it. History shows us that meaningful action—particularly changes that hurt industry interests—rarely happens without radical demands to push the boundaries of what’s politically acceptable.
Campaigns for bans aren’t in opposition with calls for transparency, they’re a strategic neccessity in achieving them. They apply the pressure needed to drive reforms, expose harmful practices, and keep the ultimate goal—fighting factory farming—at the center of the conversation. Without this pressure, transparency risks becoming toothless, co-opted as a tool for welfare-washing or superficial improvements that merely serve industry interests. Coupling bold demands for bans with transparency-focused efforts ensures that any improvements are not only genuine and accountable, but also prevent the illusion of progress from entrenching the very systems we aim to dismantle.
In this way, the two strategies can complement each other: bold calls for bans provide the pressure and visibility needed to make transparency campaigns more effective.