A canine research partner

By Gabriele Jacobs

We started AI-MAPS with a quadruple helix (private, public, academic, societal) stakeholder setup, but felt soon, that we need to extend it to a quintuple helix, by involving nature as stakeholder. AI consumes considerable nature resources, with its energy and computer hard- ware demands. Nature also poses an important stakeholder when it comes to public safety. This concerns foremost climate change, but also cross-species justice within our society. When defining safety concerns within a city, a beach, a highway, nature needs to be considered as stakeholder. To develop our methodology in this regard, we introduced a canine research partner: Snoopy.

Snoopy is my dog, and I followed with him a “Dog assisted intervention” training, to learn more about his language and his rights and needs when being involved in research and education.

Working with a dog can help us to pay more attention to our own bodily (thus nature) perceptions when exploring public safety. Involving a dog as research partner can also help opening the eyes for the presence and needs of animals and nature in general. By observing Snoopy e.g. during field visits at the Living Lab Scheveningen, we became more aware of human, animal and plant presence. We also became more aware of the (lack of) accessibility of the beach or the distinction between artificial and natural elements of the landscape. The presence of Snoopy also made us more curious about the use of AI in understanding and advancing research on the role of animals and plants in urban public safety settings.

To prepare Snoopy for more field visits, Snoopy and I are currently following a training to strengthen his self-confidence and ability to adjust to new situations. This is another learning moment Snoopy reminded me of: Be kind with yourself when it comes to switching environments and complex settings. Allow yourself to take time, watch, sniff and move slowly.