An 8-week fellowship exploring the impact of current & emerging AI technologies on animal welfare.
Deadline to apply: October 8, 2025 Runs October 20, 2025 to December 15, 2025
Prioritizing Neglected Animals
A 7-week fellowship exploring how to make the biggest difference for animal welfare— now and in the long-term future.
Deadline to apply: September 15, 2025
Runs October 10, 2025 to November 18, 2025
**Learn more about each program below and apply using our streamlined application forms.**
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Jump to the learner application
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Deadlines vary depending on which fellowship you have selected and whether you are applying as a learner or a facilitator:
| Learner deadline | Facilitator deadline | Fellowship start | Course end | |
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| Prioritizing Neglected Animals | September 15, 2025 | September 23, 2025 | October 10, 2025 | November 18, 2025 |
| AI×Animals | October 8, 2025 | September 17, 2025 | October 20, 2025 | December 15, 2025 |
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Questions? Consult our FAQ. If you still have other questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].
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AI×Animals surveys the impact of current and emerging AI technologies on animal welfare. Fellows will engage with high-stakes issues such as precision livestock farming, the use of machine learning to "decode" animal communication, genetic engineering to reduce animal suffering, and the intersection between animal advocacy and AI risks. This program will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and connections to steer AI development and deployment towards animal-positive outcomes.
Tentative program:
Week 1. AI×Animals: The Present and Near Future Week 2. Precision Livestock Farming Week 3. Interspecies Communication Week 4. TBD Week 5. A World Without Suffering? Advances in Genetic Engineering Week 6. AI×Animals: The Long-Term Future Week 7. Animal Advocacy in the Age of AI Risk Week 8. Taking Action: Career Planning
Prioritizing Neglected Animals explores how to make the biggest difference for animal welfare, both now and in the future. Fellows will learn key principles for prioritizing interventions across species and contexts using evidence-based tools, including scope-sensitive frameworks, sentience-focused moral weights, and methods for quantifying negative welfare by time and intensity. Through real-world case studies, we’ll apply these tools to some of the most neglected groups: fish, shrimp, insects, wild animals, and even speculative future animal markets. By the end, you’ll be equipped with the frameworks and practical skills needed to direct your advocacy or career toward the areas where you can help the greatest number of sentient beings most effectively.
Tentative program:
Week 1: Scope Sensitivity and Fish Welfare Week 2: Sentience Weights and Decapod Crustaceans Week 3: Quantifying Time/Intensity of Suffering and Farmed Birds Week 4: Neglectedness/Cause X and Small Invertebrates Week 5: Wild Animals Week 6: Future Animals Week 7: Next Steps
Both fellowships follow a weekly small group discussion format.
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You will meet for structured facilitated online discussions.
(1.5 hours per week)
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You will prepare for these sessions by completing readings and pre-session exercises.
(2-3 hours per week).
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There may also be elective sessions, including workshops or Q&As with leading researchers and practitioners from key career fields.
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To get the most out of our fellowships, we recommend setting aside at least 4 hours per week for synchronous sessions and preparation, including readings and exercises.
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We take an active approach to cultivating a supportive and constructive environment for learning and discussion. Learn more about our core values and discussion norms.
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We offer our programs for free.
On average, running our fellowships costs us about $568.32 USD per learner. In order to be able to offer all of our fellowships free of charge, we rely on donations. If you would like to support our work at Sentient Futures, please donate to us.
- We would be grateful for any donation size, big or small. If you're not able to donate, but would like to volunteer for us, please reach out.
- Whether or not you donate to Sentient Futures does not affect your chances of being accepted for our fellowships.