The research of Kristin Andrews, professor in the Department of Philosophy, and PhD candidate, Marriah Alcantara, has been featured in several media stories regarding the ethics of using artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate communication with animals. The topic was recently highlighted in the and on .
Andrews and co-author Alcantara explore this topic in their work, , published by Springer Nature on April 4, 2026. The scholars examine how machine learning is being used to identify patterns in the meaning of animal sounds and how these technologies could be employed to communicate with animals.
The authors explore the ethical considerations that should guide this emerging field of research, as well as its possible outcomes. Their research suggest that while advances in interspecies communication could provide important benefits for animal communities, it may also pose risks.
Kristin Andrews is 91ÑÇÉ« Research Chair in Animal Minds and professor of philosophy at 91ÑÇÉ«, CIFAR fellow in the Future Flourishing program, and was elected to the College of the Royal Society of Canada. She works on questions related to animal consciousness and animal culture, and the impacts these have on conceptions of human nature. 
Marriah Alcantara is a PhD candidate in philosophy at 91ÑÇÉ«. Her research focus is on the complexity of the social lives of nonhuman animals and how this should inform interspecies interactions.
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