If it’s acceptable for humans to exploit other animals for food, clothing, labor, entertainment or experiments because we’re more intelligent than them, would it be equally acceptable for a superintelligent alien race with 10x the mental capacity as humans to do the same to us?
If you care about using the words as they are defined, then no, it’s not cruel. Find a better word.
I don’t like that video and think they should use lower concentrations of CO2, as suggested by the narrator.