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As we develop AI, we are being forced to define sentience scientifically. This will have legal blowback. If we create a metric for consciousness to protect AI, that same metric will inevitably apply to animals. A legal test for "capacity to suffer" could finally grant rights to great apes, cetaceans (whales, dolphins), and cephalopods (octopuses).

Bridging the Gap: Animal Welfare and Animal Rights This paper explores the conceptual and legal frameworks of animal welfare and animal rights, analyzing their distinct methodologies and recent efforts to integrate them. While animal welfare Bestiality -27-

, a philosophy-based movement advocating for legal personhood and the right to life. 2. Conceptual Frameworks 2.1 Animal Welfare: The Science of Care Animal welfare is defined by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) As we develop AI, we are being forced

From an animal rights perspective, the goal isn't just to make the cages bigger—it’s to empty them. This movement often advocates for: The abolition of animal testing in all forms. A shift toward plant-based diets (veganism). A legal test for "capacity to suffer" could