Ever wondered what a tree might say if it could talk? A creative AI project lets passersby find out in real-time conversations
Trees that talk back might sound like something fresh out of a fairytale or a psychedelic trip, but a hi-tech stunt aimed at bridging the divide between youth culture with nature has turned fantasy into reality.
London-based agency Droga5 dreamed up the campaign for the creative popup, Agency for Nature, giving voice to trees in the UK capital, in Dublin and in Austin, Texas.
Bioelectrical signals from each tree were transformed into speech through an AI large language model. It was fed insights about the trees’ lifespans and histories, alongside data from biosensors that record metrics such as wind speed, temperature and soil moisture.
The AI acted as the ‘brain’ of the trees, shaping their unique personalities and enabling real-time conversations with more than 100 people – with sometimes poignant results.
“Your care warms me,” a 50-year-old oak told Austin mayor Steve Adler, who asked how he might improve its life. “More stable temperatures and consistent moisture would help. Thank you for asking,” the tree replied.
“My hope was to make people care again, to spark a little empathy for something bigger than ourselves,” explained Evan Greally from Droga5.
Plans are afoot, but under wraps for now, to give voice to more trees. In the meantime, the team said the AI application could one day be used by farmers to chat with their crops, or to predict wildfires by talking to forests.
“There’s an element of endless possibility to it,” added Greally’s colleague Chip McCoy. “We have this tool, and it’s in the hands of everybody how we use it for the better.”
Images: Sam Fallover/Droga5
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