Our Hen House: Vegan & Animal Rights Movement | Stories from the Frontlines of Animal Liberation

AI for Animal Activists with Tom Conger

Jan 6, 2024

Tom Conger, Executive Director at Stray Dog Institute, dives into the role of AI in animal activism. He explains how generative AI, like ChatGPT, can revolutionize activism by helping draft letters and strategize campaigns. The potential risks of AI, including bias and misinformation, are discussed alongside its ethical implications. Tom emphasizes the importance of using AI as a tool rather than a crutch and outlines practical daily workflows for activists. He also shares insights on the future of philanthropy in the context of farmed-animal welfare.

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INSIGHT

AI's Dual Potential For Animals

AI can both amplify animal advocacy and reveal harsher farm realities, so its net impact is uncertain.
Tom urges leveraging AI to maximize benefits for animals while preventing abuses.

ADVICE

Use Generative AI To Amplify Work

Use generative AI to produce text, images, or video and amplify tasks you couldn't do before.
Ask the model for specific formats like blog posts or song lyrics to get usable outputs quickly.

ADVICE

Prompt Precisely And Iterate

Give precise prompts and iterate: the clearer the prompt, the better the response.
Treat ChatGPT like a chat-based thought partner that refines drafts quickly.

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Are you excited about ChatGPT? Do you hate the very thought of Chat GPT? Have you never heard of ChatGPT? No matter, you need to listen to this episode to find out how generative AI can help activists get more done for animals in less time. Join us as Tom Conger reveals all about new tools to help us help animals.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

As Executive Director, Tom oversees grantmaking, research, and collaborations for Stray Dog Institute, which works to cultivate dignity, justice, and sustainability in the food system in order to build a more compassionate world for people, animals, and the environment. Tom began his career in philanthropy service ten years ago when he founded a social venture to help donors and nonprofits make the best use of charitable giving. The affiliated 501(c)(3) now operates as the Blackbaud Giving Fund, which granted $266 million to more than 100,000 nonprofits in 2020.

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This episode is sponsored in part by The Culture & Animals Foundation, which sponsors artists, scholars, and activists in our collective efforts to understand our fellow species more deeply and to further their rights. CAF provides annual grants, an arts prize, a lecture series, and a fellowship. Visit cultureandanimals.org for more information. The Culture & Animals Foundation: Think. Create. Explore. Celebrate.

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This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision-makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org.