NEWS

The CareCompanion project is now fully underway

The CareCompanion project launched in January 2026, and the start of the year has been a busy period of start-up activities, planning, and development work. The project is developing a language model-based advisory chatbot to support operators in the cattle and horse sectors in assessing and measuring animal welfare, as well as in matters related to support and legislation.

The working group launched technical and content development

The project working group (KPEDU & HAMK) has met regularly. The development work has:

defined the chatbot’s structure (species-specific solutions and separate modules for measuring welfare as well as for legal and support information)
begun compiling horse welfare measurement data for the bot
designed a testing model and a feedback collection system
built the project’s website
The chatbot will be implemented based on a limited and predefined knowledge base, and research data and legislation will be handled as separate entities to ensure transparency.

Collaboration with the Animal Welfare Center

Expert collaboration on the project with the Animal Welfare Center (EHK) has begun. EHK supports the project specifically in:

• locating up-to-date welfare information based on research
• understanding issues related to the interpretation of legislation
• ensuring the quality of information sources

This collaboration strengthens the reliability of the chatbot’s content.

Innovation group involved in development

The project’s EIP Innovation Group met for the first time at the end of January. The group includes:

• primary producers (from the dairy, beef, and horse sectors)
• veterinary experts
• representatives from dairies and slaughterhouses

The Innovation Group is participating in the development and testing of the chatbot and provides a practical perspective on the project’s progress. The first meeting discussed, among other things, the role of artificial intelligence in supporting animal welfare, user preferences, and potential concerns. The group committed to participating in testing on a regular basis as the project progresses.

Steering group outlines project progress

At the first steering group meeting held in February, the project’s operating model, timeline, and the steering group’s role were confirmed. The steering group’s task is to ensure that the project proceeds as planned.

The project’s first development phase focuses on technical implementation and piloting the horse data. Up-to-date horse data is the most readily available resource for the project, as the “Indicators for Assessing Horse Welfare” project, which concluded in 2024, compiled comprehensive research data on horse welfare into an easily accessible format that can now be utilized in the development of the bot.