Dr. iur. Dr. h.c. Antoine F. Goetschel, a world-renowned specialist in animal welfare law and former Attorney for Animal Welfare in Criminal Matters for the Canton of Zurich, will deliver his keynote address, „Lights and Shadows in Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI) from an Animal’s Perspective in Law and Ethics“, on December 5, 2026, the fourth and final day of the Animal-Computer Interaction International Conference 2026 (ACI 2026) at the FHNW Campus Brugg-Windisch, Switzerland. For more than three decades, he has worked at the intersection of law, ethics, and public policy, representing the interests of animals within legal systems and contributing to the development of animal protection standards at both national and international levels. The speaker recalls that „animal dignity“ is a constitutional concept in Switzerland that must also be respected in ACI interactions with animals. The intrinsic value of the animal must be considered, as must its protected interest in not being unduly exploited – even if the ACI is aimed at the well-being of that animal or its conspecifics. Likewise, national animal welfare legislation must be taken into account, which requires that animals be protected from unnecessary pain, harm, fear, and suffering even in animal experiments that may require authorization or, at the very least, notification. The well-being and dignity of animals must not be unnecessarily or excessively restricted simply because of the researchers‘ well-intentioned enthusiasm for ACI. The keynote will take place in the morning in the Forumsraum/FutureHub (5.0B16). Further information is available at www.aciconf.org.

Fig.: Dr. iur. Dr. h.c. Antoine F. Goetschel (Photo: Patrick Cordes, © Patrick Cordes www.rememberme.ch)