[Animal Welfare: Now Through Law and Policy] AI and Data Expand the Scope of Animal Welfare

③ Research on Disease Prediction and Roadkill Prevention
8,441 Types of Animal Medical Information Standardized
Legislative Discussions on Alternative Methods to Animal Testing

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and data is expanding in the field of animal welfare. Technologies are being researched to detect signs of illness in livestock at an early stage and predict sections of roads where wildlife is at risk of being hit by vehicles. Efforts are also underway to replace animal testing with alternatives such as organoids and organ-on-a-chip systems. Alongside technological development, key challenges include standardizing relevant data, validating testing methods, and establishing systems for real-world application.

The National Institute of Animal Science under the Rural Development Administration analyzed more than 220,000 records for dogs and more than 39,000 records for cats, based on approximately 500,000 medical records collected from 82 veterinary hospitals nationwide between 2020 and 2023. The analysis used AI to examine patterns in major diseases at different stages of animals' lives, and the data can be used in future research on disease prediction and preventive care. In livestock farming, technologies that detect signs of illness by analyzing changes in animals' movement and food intake are being considered for use. In wildlife protection, technologies that identify areas at risk of roadkill based on animal movement routes and accident records are also being explored.

Work is also underway to standardize animal medical information. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs standardized 8,441 types of animal medical information, including disease names and names of medical procedures. By organizing medical items that had differed from one veterinary hospital to another according to common criteria, the ministry established a foundation for systematically collecting and using medical information. Standardized data can be used to analyze animal diseases and support related research, but data quality management and validation of analytical results are also necessary.

The key challenge in replacing animal testing is to connect research and development with regulatory use. Organoids, organ-on-a-chip systems, and AI-based simulations are being researched as alternatives that could reduce the use of animals. However, before they can be used in actual safety assessments, their reliability and reproducibility must be validated and application standards established. In the 22nd National Assembly, a bill was introduced to develop and disseminate alternative testing methods and promote their use, and related legislative discussions are ongoing. The government is also laying the groundwork through interagency consultations and research and development.

Related budget programs are also being pursued. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety plans to implement a project from 2025 through 2029 with a total budget of 11.64 billion won to "Establish a Foundation for Alternative Animal Testing Methods for Vaccine Quality Control." The 2025 budget is 1.838 billion won and will be used to develop and validate testing methods to replace animal experiments used in the quality control of botulinum products and diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) vaccines. During its budget review, the National Assembly can examine whether technology development and validation are proceeding as planned each year and whether the resulting testing methods are being incorporated into actual regulatory standards and testing practices.

Costs and facility conditions are also factors in real-world implementation. Since farms and animal protection facilities differ in their ability to acquire and maintain equipment, pilot projects are needed to verify the technologies' accuracy and practical benefits and to consider support measures. Several steps remain before research and development results can be applied in the field, including technology validation, addressing cost burdens, and improving relevant systems.

During its review of related bills and budgets, the National Assembly can examine the progress of research and development programs, their record of real-world implementation, and criteria for evaluating results. In addition to the number of technologies developed and the scale of equipment distribution, whether alternative testing methods are used for regulatory purposes and whether the technologies help detect diseases early and prevent roadkill are also being considered as measures of policy performance.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.