PETA Demands Groundhog Day's Punxsutawney Phil Be Replaced by AI Robot

PETA is calling for Punxsutawney Phil to be retired and replaced by a robot ahead of Groundhogs Day on Sunday.

The animal rights organization wrote a letter to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club urging the the small town in Pennsylvania to end their annual ceremony of gathering together to display their most famous resident in hopes he will predict the end of winter by seeing his shadow.

"Times change. Traditions evolve. It's long overdue for Phil to be retired," the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals president and founder Ingrid Newkirk said in the message, calling for a stop to the abuse of an innocent rodent.

"Being in close proximity to the public causes these animals great stress," she continued, adding, "When Phil is dragged out of his hole and held up to flashing lights and crowds, he has no idea what's happening."

Phil is kept in a man-made habitat connected to a library when not in the spotlight, which, according Newkirk's letter, "doesn't allow him or the other groundhog there to dig, burrow, or forage."

"It's no kind of life for these animals," she added.

Since 1887, the top hat wearing club has celebrated the animal's forecast. The legend says if the four-legged fur ball sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If not, spring has arrived early.

But PETA maintains "an animatronic groundhog with artificial intelligence (AI)" can do the job just as well.

"An AI Phil would renew interest in Punxsutawney, generating a great deal of buzz, much like Sony's robot dog 'aibo,' which walks, plays, misbehaves, and responds to commands," explained the letter.

Punxsutawney Groundhog Club president, Bill Deely, however, disagrees, telling the Punxsutawney Spirit, "If we were going to use an animatronic groundhog, that's not what people want to see."

Around 40,000 fans show up each year for Ground Hogs Day in Punxsutawney, which boasts a population of 6,000.

Deely's final argument against PETA's request is one he's accustomed to bringing up.

"As I've said in the past, Phil lives better than the average child in Western Pennsylvania."

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