MIT AI Risk Repository · Risk Sub-Category · 61.01.08

Harms to non-humans

Category: Types of systemic risks from general-purpose AI

Open the MIT Risk Navigator All entries from Uuk2025

Description

"Large-scale harms to animals and the development of AI capable of suffering."

From A Taxonomy of Systemic Risks from General-Purpose AI (Uuk2025), as extracted by the MIT AI Risk Repository (CC BY 4.0).

Classification

Domain: 7. AI system safety, failures, & limitations
Subdomain: 7.5 AI welfare and rights
Causal entity: Human
Intent: Unintentional
Timing: Post-deployment

Subdomain definition: Ethical considerations regarding the treatment of potentially sentient AI entities, including discussions around their potential rights and welfare, particularly as AI systems become more advanced and autonomous.

How other frameworks describe this risk

AI rights and responsibilities
Managing the ethical and risk implications of rapid advances in artificial intelligence: A literature review (Meek2016)
AI death
Managing the ethical and risk implications of rapid advances in artificial intelligence: A literature review (Meek2016)

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