How AI might help with animal adoptions

November 14, 2025

The GIST How AI might help with animal adoptions

Gaby Clark

scientific editor

Andrew Zinin

lead editor

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Do people respond differently to digital animals compared to real ones?

And can that distinction make a difference in a nonprofit campaign?

These are questions University of Cincinnati Professor Victoria LaPoe is investigating in the Department of Journalism where she teaches digital media.

Before coming to UC this year to head the journalism department, LaPoe taught journalism at Ohio University, where she volunteered with the Athens County Humane Society. She saw firsthand how hard it was for nonprofits to meet their fundraising and adoption needs.

So she turned to the example set by her fellow Louisiana State University alumnus, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, whose charitable foundation's message is "Do good."

"So I thought, 'What good can we do?'" she said.

"People think journalism is defined only as hard news, but there is also solutions-journalism and journalism for the public good," she said. "You can take your research and identify a deficit in a community and apply it."

Researchers, including UC Assistant Professor Benjamin LaPoe, surveyed more than 300 people nationwide as part of a digital campaign exploring topics ranging from adoptions and donations to emotional support animals and social media use.

In one example focused on emotional support animal messaging, researchers examined whether audiences reacted differently to an AI-generated illustration versus a traditional photograph of children cuddling cats.

While it was obvious to participants that the cartoon image was artificial, what ultimately influenced their responses was what LaPoe describes as "perceived human emotion"—the emotional authenticity conveyed through the imagery and messaging.

"The humor in 'Save a Bird, Adopt a Cat,' caught the respondents off guard and they seemed to find it funny and clever. That natural emotion of humor outweighed the AI-generated images—even with cute kids cuddling cats," LaPoe said.

"We had pics of real cats taken at the Humane Society and images of an AI bulldog. And the AI bulldog looks a little more cartoonish to me than the real one. But I think because it looks more polished, that stood out to people than the real photos," she said.

Researchers found that messaging produced by AI scored lower in emotional authenticity and empathetic tone than those created by people. Traditional content generated stronger emotional connections, which directly influenced adoption and donor interest.

LaPoe and her co-authors concluded that care is needed when using AI-generated messaging to maintain emotional authenticity and genuine connection with the target audience.

Her research has covered a wide range of topics relating to social media, indigenous communities and current events. Before joining academia, she was a broadcast journalist.

LaPoe shared her findings with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"It was exciting to see this research presented at our ASPCA Research Forum," said Bailey Eagan, the nonprofit group's director of research. "Understanding how AI-generated imagery influences potential adopters and donors gives shelters valuable insight into how to craft authentic, effective campaigns."

Co-author Adonis Durado, an associate professor at Ohio University, said AI tools can be both useful and problematic. During his career in advertising, he learned how to craft persuasive messages for target audiences.

"That experience taught me how powerful storytelling can be when it is authentic and emotionally honest," he said.

AI tools can help nonprofit groups analyze tone, predict audience response and identify emotionally resonant messages associated with successful appeals, he said.

"For nonprofits, AI can be incredibly helpful. It can study what kinds of stories or visuals connect with people and what makes someone stop scrolling, click donate or share a post," he said.

But there's a risk that the audience might associate AI with artifice or manipulation, he said.

"If organizations rely too heavily on automation, messages can start to feel generic or manipulative," he said. "The same survey showed that authenticity and brand consistency matter deeply to audiences—and that is where human creativity still matters most. Nonprofits depend on trust. If people sense that an AI wrote something that feels too perfect, it can backfire."

Provided by University of Cincinnati Citation: How AI might help with animal adoptions (2025, November 14) retrieved 14 November 2025 from https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-ai-animal.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

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