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This talk will examine how to make AI safe and beneficial for all sentient beings, including humans, animals, and — eventually, potentially — AI systems themselves. It will start by outlining core priorities in current AI safety and alignment research. It will then examine the "animal welfare gap," showing how current research neglects the importance of AI for captive and wild animals alike. Next, it will examine the "AI welfare gap," showing how current research neglects the importance of AI for future digital minds as well. The talk will conclude by assessing the relationship between AI safety, animal welfare, and AI welfare, and proposing opportunities for co-beneficial policies. 

Jeff Sebo is Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, Affiliated Professor of Bioethics, Medical Ethics, Philosophy, and Law, Director of the Center for Environmental and Animal Protection, Director of the Center for Mind, Ethics, and Policy, and Co-Director of the Wild Animal Welfare Program at New York University. 

This program is made possible by the Ethics Center and the Krebs Center for the Humanities, and the HUMAN Grant.