Sentient Futures

Building tomorrow for all who feel

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

In July 2025, the 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗿-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 was published: the EU AI Act’s Code of Practice.

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

Be sure to sign up for Sentient Futures' newsletter if you'd like to be notified of future competitions, and we hope you'll enjoy reading these inspiring pieces! https://t.co/GxkX4CjQqQ

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

We're thrilled to announce the winners of the 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻! 🏆

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

Thank you to everyone who participated and to Compassion Aligned Machine Learning for their invaluable partnership, we were blown away by the quality of entries. 👏

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

🌅 Most Utopian ($500) Project Floreri: No Being Suffers Unseen by Zoe Lu https://t.co/mhOL24cAho

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

⚖️ Best Reasoning Under Genuine Tradeoff ($500) SUCCESSION by Max Taylor https://t.co/ghePkujj0R

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

✨ Most Original ($500) Stonebridge Museum by Jess Masterson https://t.co/GEyWqHS6JU

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

🥉 3rd Place ($500) NPC by Nathan Sidney https://t.co/e9nP1iHbgQ

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

🥈 2nd Place ($1,000) What Became of the Broiler Shed: Greenfield Sanctuary, 2040 by Reid Kawaja https://t.co/ReOhjNRMTb

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

🥇 1st Place ($2,000) The Uncertainty Log by Yaqi Grover https://t.co/E14T3NKN43

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

𝗦𝗙𝗦 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀!

We hosted:

  • 📌 Over 130 attendees at our Friday conference
  • 📌 70 attendees at our weekend unconference
  • 📌 Over 20 pre-arranged talks, workshops and meet-ups
  • 📌 Over 40 attendee-organised unconference sessions

A huge thank you to our volunteers for their dedicated work, to Ambitious Impact for their wonderful office space, and to Csenge Kertesi, Rae Phillips-Smith and Anna Travinskaia for their photography and media throughout the weekend.

We are honoured to have such a vibrant, kind and ambitious community. Together, we're building a future for all who feel.

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

✨ 𝗪𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗙𝗦 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲!

  • @birchlse is Professor of Philosophy and Director of The Jeremy Coller Centre for Animal Sentience at the London School of Economics.
  • @chris_percy 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗰𝘆 is the fundamental consciousness lead at the Consciousness Foundation. His multi-disciplinary approach spans transformative technologies, economic analysis, and analytical philosophy.
  • 𝗗𝗿. 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗩𝗲𝗶𝘁 is an award-winning philosopher, author, and lecturer at the University of Reading. He's authored over 100 academic publications on the nature of consciousness and evolutionary theory.
  • 𝗟𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗡𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗼𝘃𝗮 is a Principal Data Scientist at Microsoft. She's currently working on how AI can strengthen animal advocacy, policy and welfare standards.

🎟️ 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗨𝗖𝗟 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝘆! Link in bio.

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

📢 𝗪𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 for the SFS London Conference on Friday 22nd May!

• Heather Browning is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Southampton. She specialises in animal welfare, sentience, and ethics.
• Lucius Caviola is an assistant professor at the University of Cambridge, where he researches the societal and governance challenges surrounding digital minds. He directs the Cambridge Digital Minds Lab.
• Magnus Vinding is the author of Suffering-Focused Ethics, Reasoned Politics, and Compassionate Purpose, and the co-founder of the Center for Reducing Suffering.
• Cameron Berg is Founder and Director of Reciprocal Research, a nonprofit building the empirical science of AI consciousness using mechanistic interpretability, computational neuroscience, and psychometric methods.

🎟️ 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 22nd May! Link in bio.

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

🎙️ 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗙𝗦 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝟭𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹!

We're looking for contributors to give a talk or run a workshop at our conference on Friday 22nd May at UCL. Sessions will explore how AI and other advanced technologies might shape the future for animals and artificial minds.

You can also use this form to suggest other other ideas for content or speakers you think would be a good fit!

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

Sentient Futures is excited to be part of @foresightinst’s 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻, 𝟱-𝟳 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲: a gathering for leading researchers, builders, and funders to explore frontier science and technology. If you're attending SFS and EAG London, stick around for Vision Weekend UK!

We’ll be hosting office hours for anyone keen to dive deeper into how AI and emerging tech might shape the future for sentient non-humans.

Get tickets: https://t.co/zoo4ZhPHhJ

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

What if the most important thing you could write wasn't for human eyes, but for AI?

Sentient Futures and Compassion Aligned Machine Learning (CaML) are running a $5,000 writing competition for short fiction and essays about how AI should treat animals, digital minds, and other sentient beings.

You can write your own or use the AI tool on the site to generate a piece. Both are eligible for prizes. Submit as many as you want.

Deadline: May 5, 2026
https://t.co/AY5u3QaWUj

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

📢 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗙𝗦 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟮𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹! Spaces are limited.

Following our conference on Friday 22nd May, we’re hosting a two-day unconference on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th May at the Ambitious Impact Office in Spitalfields. This will be a chance for attendees to create their own agenda, and shape the discussion on what emerging technologies mean for non-humans.

Due to limited space, we can only accept around 50 applicants. Given the success of last year’s unconference, we expect these spaces to be competitive – get your application in before 12th April to make sure you’re considered!

We look forward to hearing from you 😎

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

📣 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 (𝗦𝗙𝗦) 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 (May 22nd-24th)! Apply here: https://t.co/eRXws7qYUD

We are seeking leading thinkers who can explore how AI and other advanced technologies might shape the future for animals and artificial minds.

If you’re doing research or have an interesting project in this field, we invite you to apply to give a talk, facilitate a workshop, or run a stand at our organization fair. Speakers and workshop facilitators will receive a complimentary ticket.

You can also use this submission form to suggest other speakers or content you think would be valuable!

Applications are open as well for volunteers and scholarships! All application forms can be found through the link in our bio.

𝗦𝗙𝗦 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀:
📌 Conference: Friday 22nd May | UCL South Quad Pop Up
📌 Unconference: 23rd-24th May Weekend | AIM Office, Spitalfields

[Sentient Futures @sentfutures]

𝗟𝗲𝘄𝗶𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗱’𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝘆𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 from Sentient Futures Summit Bay Area is out now on our YouTube Channel! Check it out here: https://t.co/KxDio9QBF3

In the fireside chat, Lewis, who oversees farm animal welfare funding at Coefficient Giving (formerly Open Philanthropy), sits down with Stien Van der Ploeg, Executive Director of Animal Charity Evaluators, to tackle one of the most pressing questions facing the movement today:

👉 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜?

Lewis shares how his thinking has evolved as AI timelines have accelerated, which interventions he sees as most robust across uncertain futures, and where he thinks animal advocates should be placing their bets right now.