These are animals (such as dogs or chips) that have been gengineered, surgically altered, or fitted with brain implants to give them communicative ability and intelligence approaching human levels. Most uplifts are borderline-sapient, with reasoning capacities similar to those of a human 5- to 8-year-old.

Uplifts have been created as companions, workers, experiments, curiosities, and even soldiers. They are generally considered animals rather than people, but laws often provide additional protections, with the state having the right to remove an abused uplift. In many areas, such as the European Union, China, and the United States, ownership of a sapient uplift requires a license and (in the E.U.) occasional visits from caseworkers to ensure that the uplift is doing well. Other areas have more lax standards. The South African Coalition, Pacific Rim Alliance, and TSA have few restrictions on uplifts, although normal laws (e.g., regulating owning of dangerous animals and animal cruelty) apply.