THE EYES HAVE IT: Stop looking at the vegan, look your victim in their eyes instead
THE EYES HAVE IT: Stop looking at the vegan, look your victim in their eyes instead
When a vegan challenges animal exploitation, the conversation often moves away from the individual being exploited. Suddenly, the discussion becomes: “What about the animals killed in crop harvesting?” “What about plants?” “What about farmers?” “What about this exception?” “What about that hypothetical?” Notice what happened. The animal disappeared from the conversation. Instead of asking why anyone should be entitled to use them, we start searching for reasons why we should be allowed to continue. Next time you’re talking to a vegan, stop looking at the vegan. Look at your victim instead. Picture a baby animal standing in front of you. A […]
‘AI & Animals’: New documentary explores how AI will impact the lives of animals
‘AI & Animals’: New documentary explores how AI will impact the lives of animals
Animal advocates face an urgent choice in light of the impact of AI on sentient beings: react after harm is done, or prevent catastrophe before it unfolds. The documentary ‘AI & Animals’ brings together 16 of the world’s leading voices on AI and animals advocacy and scholarship from different continents, spanning fields such as ethics, advocacy, strategy, science, and technology. ANIMAL ETHICS: While AI’s impact on humanity dominates headlines, its effects on nonhuman animals receive virtually no attention. Yet AI will significantly impact the lives of animals in the near and the far future, for better or worse. We’re at a […]
THE HORROR: Moral distance, self-deception and the ethics of looking away
THE HORROR: Moral distance, self-deception and the ethics of looking away
It is common to think of ignorance as simply not knowing something. A lack of information. But there’s an important difference between not having access to knowledge, choosing not to seek it out and avoiding it because it challenges something we would rather believe. When it comes to meat and other animal products, the gulf between consumers and production makes this kind of avoidance easier. It’s an arrangement that generally works smoothly until something disrupts it. Footage from slaughterhouses or factory farms can provoke powerful reactions, even among people who regularly consume animal products. The discomfort doesn’t necessarily come from discovering […]
