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Animals’ Relationships with Technology is Being Studied

livestock farming animal interaction with technology. cows in green field with symbols superimposed

Humanity has a complicated relationship with technology. We rely on it for many everyday things. However at the same time humans also frequently decry technology’s pervasiveness. However, researchers are noticing something odd. Animals are also developing their own relationships with technology. In many ways, this relationship mirrors the complex interactions of humanity. A new research field, known as animal-computer interaction has developed to investigate how, exactly, animals interact with technology.

It may not seem like animals interact with technology that much. Yet this is untrue. Dogs are microchipped, cats are watched on home surveillance systems, and farm animals have their health monitored via biosensors. Even wild animals are not immune to the effects of technology. Cameras and Artificial Intelligence are used to monitor populations, and sensors are placed on individual species members to gather data.

Animal-computer interaction researchers want to explore how this interaction with technology is affecting animals. They also focus a large amount of energy on developing technology that would be beneficial to animals. For example, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab have created a proposal for an artificial incubator that allows parent birds to be vocally interactive with their eggs. Called the TamagoPhone, the device would potentially increase the survival rates of chicks hatched in incubators.

Other research in the field focuses on improving human-animal communication via technology. For example, technological advances could better help service animals communicate with their human companions.

Researchers in the nascent field are also interested in understanding animals’ feelings towards technology. Humans are frequently bad at reading animal’s body language and other cues. For this reason, it can be difficult to uncover how they truly feel about something. One example of this disconnect was seen when researchers at the University of Haifa analyzed videos of dogs playing virtual games, such as fetch. Although their humans frequently thought that the canines were having fun, the researchers showed that the games were not fun for them. Instead, they led to high levels of frustration for the pups.

As research in the field of animal-computer interaction advances, critics of the field fear development of technology that specifically focuses on animals will ultimately harm them. Automated feeders and litter boxes are already two existing technologies that are convenient for humans but may lead to increased neglect of companion animals. Livestock technology could be used by factory farms to boost profits but ultimately may lead to more animals being killed for human consumption.

Like many other fields, the ultimate impacts of increasing animal interactions with technology have potential positives and negatives. Technology could help us better understand animals, and assist them in communicating their needs. However, it could also be used to further exploit animals for human gain.

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