Researchers recently featured in Science suggest that artificial intelligence has the potential to help us comprehend when animals are experiencing pain or exhibiting other emotions.

A notable example is the Intellipig system, currently under development by scientists at the University of the West of England Bristol and Scotland’s Rural College. This system analyzes photographs of pigs’ faces to detect signs of pain, illness, or emotional distress, and subsequently notifies farmers.

Meanwhile, a team at the University of Haifa, which has previously developed facial recognition software to aid in locating lost dogs, is now focusing on training AI to identify signs of discomfort on canine faces. Interestingly, dogs’ facial movements share 38% similarities with those of humans.

While these systems typically rely on human input to interpret animal behaviors, a researcher at the University of São Paulo has made a significant breakthrough. By utilizing photos of horses’ faces before and after surgery, as well as before and after administering painkillers, the researcher trained an AI system to focus on the horses’ eyes, ears, and mouths. The results were impressive, with the AI system achieving an 88% success rate in identifying signs of pain on its own.