From Observation to Agency: The Role of AI in Companion Animal-Human Interaction

In human society, companion animals are no longer simply ”family members” or ”emotionally dependent individuals.” They are entering, alongside us, a web of relationships reshaped by diverse computational technologies. In this context, this paper innovatively proposes a three-stage analytical framework, encompassing monitoring, interpretation, and empowerment. This framework, through the philosophical lens of ”significant otherness,” reveals a clear evolutionary path in how technology mediates the human-animal bond, moving from a one-way observation to a two-way, co-constituted interaction. The specific contributions of this work are as follows: (1) the establishment of a core-task-centered approach for classifying relevant technologies; (2) a systematic exploration of the role of AI-driven multimodal technologies within this framework; and (3) the integration of the philosophical concept of ”significant otherness” with cognitive engineering principles to enrich the theoretical underpinnings of the evolving human-animal relationship. Additionally, this paper also addresses key ethical, methodological, and technical challenges and opportunities inherent in the future application of AI within the field of Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI), offering new insights and perspectives for both academic research and practical application.