Code 4 Compassion Mumbai - Electric Sheep and Open Paws drive international AI for Impact Debate with biggest global hackathon yet
On July 7th in Mumbai, Electric Sheep and Open Paws convened more than 150 engineers, coders, and mission-driven developers to design tools that protect animals, aid environmental justice, and support grassroots efforts that are overstretched and underfunded - in what was their biggest global Code 4 Compassion hackathon yet.
The goal wasn’t to replace rescuers or activists. It was to give them superpowers – tools that automate, inform, and scale their impact.
What emerged over 24 hours were working AI prototypes that could transform how cruelty cases are processed, how animal-related policy is tracked, and how citizens engage with welfare causes.
Apps for Good
One team created RescueRadar, an AI tool that scans cruelty complaints and categorizes urgent cases for immediate rescue coordination.
Rescue Radar Demo
Another designed SufferingWatch, which uses machine learning to monitor regulatory filings and flag violations in industries like meat processing and dairy.
Others developed include:
Animal Parliament – an NLP-based system that tracks animal-related bills across state and national legislatures;
VeganMe – a culturally adapted chatbot that provides 24/7 support for Indians transitioning to plant-based diets;
SaferStrays – a digital interface to map stray animals and connect reports to shelters and local authorities.
And of course tools to end factory farming and counter factory farming applications:
End Factory Farming
These functional, near-field-ready tools are already attracting interest from NGOs and municipal bodies.
“The innovation and ingenuity that these young coders demonstrated represents a quantum leap in how technology can serve animal and climate advocacy,”
Media uptake
The event, co-hosted by global tech-for-good pioneers Electric Sheep and Open Paws, supported by a network of partners including Craigslist CF, Mobius, ProVeg, Kickstarting for Good, Stray Dog institute, People for Animals and Bharat Accountability Initiative, is part of a broader push to connect India’s booming AI talent with underfunded social movements.
Electric Sheep and Open Paws now plan to open-source several of the tools developed in Mumbai, launch an AI-for-impact incubator, and bring future editions of the event to Bengaluru and Delhi.
Conversations are already underway with civic bodies and advocacy networks to integrate select tools into governance and public outreach systems.
And media interest has been significant. The event received coverage in India Today, The Mirror, MSN, Hans, Free Press Journal, Deccan Chronicle and many more outlets besides.
India's young AI minds step up for animals amid rising human-animal conflict
Can AI Help End India’s Animal Cruelty Crisis? These Young Coders Think So
‘Code 4 Compassion’: Young Coders Build AI-Powered Tools For Animal Welfare, Environmental Conservation & Philanthropy At First-Of-Its-Kind Hackathon In Mumbai
As the editorial in The Hans Online put it:
’The message is clear: India doesn’t need to follow Silicon Valley’s script. It has its own story to tell – one rooted in ahimsa, interdependence, and service. And in a country where the street dog knows your lane better than the postman, that might just be the most Indian version of the AI revolution yet.’
