Can Finance Activism End Factory Farming? AI, Divestment, and Animal Advocacy with Richie Richardson

This episode of the Our Hen House interview features Thomas “Richie” Manandhar Richardson — AI Impact Director at Vegan Hacktivists and former Director of Research at Bryant Research — in a wide-ranging conversation about two urgent frontiers for the animal movement: financial activism targeting factory farming and the growing role of artificial intelligence in animal advocacy. Richie breaks down why divestment campaigns largely fail to cut off funding for factory farming (and the rare exceptions where they can work), how international development banks in the Global South represent a more promising pressure point, and what it means to stigmatize an industry financially— the way coal has been stigmatized. He then shifts to AI, covering how animal organizations can leverage tools like ChatGPT and Claude for research, communications, and even building software — and why those who are producing pro-animal content online may literally be shaping the values of the next generation of AI models.

• Financial activism and its limits — Divestment campaigns rarely cut off funding because capital simply flows elsewhere; Richie cites research suggesting 85% of US wealth would need to divest from fossil fuels before companies feel real impact, with similar dynamics in factory farming.
• Where financial pressure can work — International development banks (like the World Bank’s IFC) are a more viable target in lower- and middle-income countries, because if they cancel a loan, no commercial bank typically steps in — a tactic that successfully blocked a $200 million loan to Brazilian beef giant Marfrig.
• Stigmatizing factory farming as a risky investment — Framing factory farming risks (disease outbreaks, insurance costs, stranded assets) in financial terms — as outlets like FAIRR and the Financial Times already do — can shift how investors perceive the industry over the long term, similar to what happened with coal.
• AI as a force multiplier for animal advocates — AI tools can help under-resourced organizations and grassroots activists produce research, build websites, analyze data, and run campaigns at a scale previously impossible; Vegan Hacktivists’ free Amplify for Animals AI course is returning soon.
• Shaping the AI models of the future — Publishing pro-animal content on blogs, Substacks, and YouTube may influence how future AI models are trained, and organizations like Sentient Futures and CAML are actively working with AI labs to build benchmarks that increase AI compassion toward animals.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Thomas Manandhar-Richardson, also known as Richie, is the AI Impact Director at Vegan Hacktivists. There, he builds AI automations and provides AI education and consulting for organizations to help them have more impact for animals. Previously, he was the Director of Research at Bryant Research, where he conducted research primarily on the economics and finance of factory farming, as well as food security and alternative proteins.

• Bryant Research
• Vegan Hacktivists
• Stop Financing Factory Farming
• Bank for Nature
• Richie’s Substack

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