Art project: Exploring human perceptions of rewilding using Midjourney’s A.I. art
After writing a dissertation on the reintroduction of beavers to Britain, I felt inspired to continue the theme of nature recovery and rewilding in an art project for an extracurricular module as part of the Nottingham Advantage Award at my university.
What is rewilding?
Rewilding may have plastic meanings, especially in different contexts (Jørgensen, 2015), but its broad goal is to restore balance to nature’s ecosystems by enhancing biodiversity, reintroducing species that grew extinct, and eventually achieve the goal of non-human autonomy (Prior & Ward, 2016). It is a popular topic that has gained traction over time, more noticeably online since about 2015 (Google Trends).
Human cooperation is required for rewilding to take place. Without legal protection and buy-in from land owners, conservation efforts can be jeopardised and the reputation of species can be tarnished (Ward & Prior, 2020). However, highlighting where there are beneficial interactions between society and nature can support rewilding efforts (Perino et al., 2019). Therefore, the probability of successful rewilding efforts relies on how conservation activities and goals are perceived by society.
Introducing A.I. generated art as a way to explore humans’ perceptions of rewilding
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) generated art is created by using images from all over the internet and combining them with a dataset that ‘learns’ how to generate art from text prompts. This means it has the potential to continue to improve and produce novel conceptual art that may have a familiar feel.
For this project I chose to work with MidJourney, which was opened to the public in August 2022. Art is created by interacting with the MidJourney bot on a platform called Discord. Simple text prompts, similar to those used to conduct a Google search, return an initial image that features 4 thumbnail images within it within about 60 seconds. Users can then choose to refine a thumbnail by creating full-size variations from it (similar to using creative direction), upscale the quality (which can change the style quite significantly), or submit new text prompt variations.
Images can be influenced in multiple ways from including names of art styles (e.g. watercolour) to naming colours within the text prompts. More detailed settings can be used such as specifying the ‘weighting’ of certain words or phrases, the aspect ratio, or image dimensions. However, the user never has complete control over the outcome. Additionally, submitting the same text prompt multiple times will generate new, unique art each time.
There is almost infinite flexibility for what text is used to generate the art as its length can vary from a single word to an entire paragraph. However, MidJourney has blocked some offensive words.
At the time of writing (August 2022), MidJourney’s creations are usually interpretive or conceptual rather than having photographic realism.
My plan: journalling my A.I. art journey
First, I will use some broad concepts related to conservation and rewilding as prompts to explore what is generated. After that I will explore specific topics within rewilding and include terms related to Britain to help guide the A.I. in creating a style based on one region’s wildlife. Finally, I will choose an image that stands out to me to represent the journey as a whole. At each step I will reflect on what was generated and how it might show us a glimpse of human perceptions of rewilding.
Each prompt of the A.I. initially returns an image with four thumbnails within it. Thumbnails can be upscaled or expanded upon later. I shall begin by exploring wider concepts related to conservation, then dig deeper into rewilding specifics, before choosing a favourite, final image to upscale and reflect upon:
General topics within zoology and conservation
Rewilding topics within Britain
Final image selection
1. How would A.I. depict general topics within zoology and conservation?
1.1. Evolution
I picked the topic of evolution because it is central to zoology and very broadly connected with conservation. The result:
Prompt: evolution. Click to expand.
These images surprised me in that they were almost entirely human-centric. Grass is barely discernible in one image, and some ape-like tails or shapes in another, but besides this, only clouds, a moon and some fire-like colours are shown. This concerned me because the process of evolution is behind the existence of all lifeforms present today. Without the other lifeforms that provide food and resources to live, humans simply wouldn’t exist. These images seem to place humans as the most important subjects within the topic of evolution. As a zoologist, this troubled me greatly.
On the other hand, I suspect these images were created due to the existence of an enormous number of images on the internet of popular evolution art on T-shirts that depicts human stages of evolution and ends with a statement about the wearer’s interests. By having so many of these types of images on the internet, it may have swayed the A.I. into associating these images with what evolution looks like, should it have one ‘look’, which we know it doesn’t. However, this still reinforces the potential that humans may see evolution from a human-centric perspective. I hope that future prompts within Midjourney generate a more balanced view.
Image Copyright @sonofgroucho on Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/sonofgroucho/7617619260/
1.2. Extinction
Entering a prompt with the word ‘extinction’ created images with a similar fire-y sky effect:
Prompt: extinction. Click to expand.
What I liked most about this set of thumbnails is that human-like figures feature, but so do animals. It seems as though humans may be depicted as being responsible for the extinction of animals through pollution judging by some of the industrial-style smoking chimneys in the first (top left) and third thumbnails (bottom left), especially.
Some of the thumbnails look as though there may be bones or antlers, adding to a macabre feel. There is a very ominous feel to all of them with the vignette effect (darkened edges) and shadow-y silhouettes.
Animal shapes are reminiscent of birds, dinosaurs or cattle. In each image it appears as though the animals are much larger and tower over the human figures. These size differences could suggest that the animals are super-sized monsters that are the ones responsible for the fire and destruction, and humans are small and fragile. Perhaps copious images from our sci-fi movies such as Godzilla have encouraged the A.I. to, yet again, centre humans, and show us as the victims rather than the villains.
The fact that the animal and human figures are shown alone with fire-y landscapes around them gives the feeling of loneliness and desolation. This may be a very real prospect following another mass extinction and/or devastating climate changes.
1.3. Biodiversity
One of the goals of conservation is to preserve and support biodiversity among ecosystems. Diversity provides stability for ecosystems, especially in changing conditions.
Prompt: biodiversity. Click to expand.
Although these thumbnails seem to show only plant life, with the exception of the first (top left) that may show some flies, the mixture of shapes and colours seems like a good artistic depiction of biodiversity. I preferred the first (top left) thumbnail as it seemed to show the widest variety of plant forms, with differing heights.
Biodiversity relates to all forms of life within an ecosystem, not just plants. However, plants and algae are primary producers that form the first trophic level within a food web. They are described this way because they use energy from the sun, combined with nutrients, to grow. Herbivores, which are primary consumers in the secondary trophic level, depend upon them for food, which in turn support life higher up in the trophic levels. So, without the primary producers, nearly all life would die out. So, based on this, I liked that the images focused on primary producers. Also, had the images tried to depict a variety of species in other trophic levels, the images may have become too complex and the concept of diversity may have been lost.
Trophic levels. Image from Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trophic_level.
1.4. Rewilding
Finally, I explored what type of images would be generated from the broad term ‘rewilding’.
Prompt: rewilding. Click to expand.
These thumbnails show a pleasing mixture of landscapes from meadows to forests to mountain ranges. The climate seems varied across each thumbnail, too. The first thumbnail (top left) shows some shapes that could be mammals roaming a forest clearing. However, there don’t appear to be waterways or oceans, deserts or other types of habitats in any of the thumbnails.
The second image (top right) has brown and orange colouring that is suggestive of forest fires. Although forest fires are a natural part of some ecosystems, climate change has encouraged abnormal frequencies of them. The Global Forest Watch website provides a great explanation of the link between climate change and the risk that increased forest fires present: https://www.globalforestwatch.org/topics/fires/#intro
It is unclear whether these thumbnails truly depict a good visual representation for rewilding because few details are shown that represent diversity of species, especially on a global scale. Specific important habitats such as tropical rainforests, coral reefs or mangroves don’t appear to be shown. However, key features that they all lack are humanmade structures such as hedgerows, buildings or even fences. Although a lack of humanmade features correlates well with the idea of rewilding, boundaries may be required to protect some designated rewilding areas, and other humanmade features may help society interact with nature in an effort to promote rewilding efforts. The goal of rewilding is for nature to take care of itself, though, so these should not be dominant features. Therefore, these could be good visual representations of rewilding for some areas of the globe.
2. What art would A.I. create for rewilding topics within Britain?
With these text prompts I decided to include the word ‘Britain’ to help the A.I. narrow down results to one region’s style of landscapes and wildlife.
2.1. Wild British landscape
Once an area of Britain has been rewilded, what would it look like? I asked Midjourney to create some thumbnails to show me:
Prompt: wild British landscape. Click to expand.
This series of thumbnails was disappointing in that 3 of the 4 show hedgerows that suggest agriculture, including 2 that could show bright yellow fields that could be the oil-seed rape crop. The second (top right) thumbnail, however, looks a little more wild. However, it is still lacking in trees and diversity of vegetation. None of the thumbnails show animals, birds or insects. Therefore, these images may highlight a specific barrier in conservation which is shifting baseline syndrome (SBS).
SBS is a psychological and sociological phenomenon whereby people associate the environment in which they were raised as normal. The consequences are that each new generation of humans has a lower threshold for accepted environmental conditions than the previous generation. People make decisions on what is worth protecting based on their personal baselines, which can impact funding and resources for nature conservation, restoration and management (Soga, 2018). Therefore, I believe it is important to generate images of what designated parts of Britain’s landscape will look like when fully rewilded, and combine these with education on why the differences between these and what people remember are vitally important and valuable.
2.2. What about Britains waterways and coastal areas?
To help Midjourney create art based on specific landscape features that are usually missing or lack detail, I’ve used some landscape-based prompts. I will reflect on all of these together rather than individually.
2.2.1. Rivers
Prompt: Rewilding Britain river. Click to expand.
2.2.2. Underwater
Prompt: Rewilding Britain underwater. Click to expand.
2.2.3. Coast
Prompt: Rewilding Britain coast. Click to expand.
The most notable feature of each of these images is the lack of aquatic life, terrestrial animals or birds. However, most views do look healthy and do not appear to show humanmade features.
The final (bottom right) thumbnail with in the underwater series shows shapes suggestive of seagrass. Seagrasses have high conservation importance because of their enormous potential for storing carbon and aiding our efforts to combat climate change. It is estimated that around 92% of seagrasses around Britain could have been lost over the last century or more (Green et al., 2021). Based on these losses it is perhaps unsurprising that the underwater images do not show more of it, and therefore, could highlight another example of shifting baseline syndrome.
2.3. Can Midjourney imagine what different groups of animals would look like in a rewilded British landscape?
Next, I decided to trial some popular terms for major groups of animals to see what Midjourney would return. Again, I shall reflect on all of these together rather than individually.
2.3.1. Rewilding Britain birds
Prompt: Rewilding Britain birds. Click to expand.
2.3.2. Herbivores
Prompt: Rewilding Britain herbivores. Click to expand.
2.3.3. Carnivores
Prompt: Rewilding Britain carnivores. Click to expand.
2.3.4. Fish
Prompt: Rewilding Britain fish. Click to expand.
2.3.5. Amphibians
Prompt: Rewilding Britain amphibians. Click to expand.
2.3.6. Invertebrates
Prompt: Rewilding Britain invertebrates. Click to expand.
Generally, I was pleased with the above series of images. Occasionally one of a series of thumbnails appeared to lack the focus of the prompt. This happened in the birds, fish and invertebrates series. It would have been better to see a little more diversity in the birds and fish series, too. However, I was satisfied with the outcomes as a whole. The images seemed well aligned with the goals of rewilding in Britain.
3. And, finally: an image to represent rewilding of Britain
I picked one thumbnail from the series I generated above that I believed best depicted a goal for rewilding. It is also an image that I adored for the creativity within it. The image below is from the set for ‘rewilding Britain invertebrates’. It has been ‘upscaled’ which adds detail to the thumbnail to create a higher resolution image:
My final image, upscaled from the thumbnail. Click to expand.
I chose this image because it immediately brought me joy when I saw it! Art has the power to move people by generating emotions, and this is exactly what would be needed to help promote rewilding and encourage people to care and support conservation efforts by connecting with wildlife.
The reason I loved this image so much is that the A.I. created a brand new creature that seems to be formed from parts of all sorts of invertebrates, from a butterfly or moth, to a ladybird, and a beetle, millipede or spider. I also adored the detail that seems to include what looks like a tiny red parasite on one of its front legs. Creating a creature was not part of the text prompt that I gave to Midjourney, and so this result, complete with what looks like an eye, a head, wings and legs, is unexpected and impressive.
The creation of something brand new excited me because it gives me hope that through rewilding efforts, and over sufficient time, wildlife would have the chance to evolve and some new species that emerge may be better adapted to live alongside us in the Anthropocene. As a symbol of evolution (in my eyes) this image counterbalances the devastating images created from the ‘extinction’ prompt, and the glimpses of human-made fires and destruction in the ‘evolution’ and ‘rewilding’ prompts. My hope is that our shifting baselines will be adjusted to imagine a biodiverse future, and our hopes for us to live in harmony with healthy ecosystems will be reinvigorated.
References
Green, A., E., Unsworth, R., K., F., Chadwick, M., A., Jones, P., J., S. (2021) ‘Historical Analysis Exposes Catastrophic Seagrass Loss for the United Kingdom’, Frontiers in Plant Science, 12, 629962.
Jørgensen, D. (2015) ‘Rethinking rewilding’, Geoforum, 65, 482-488.
Perino, A., Pereira, H., M., Navarro, L., M., Fernández, N., Bullock, J., M., Ceaușu, S., Cortés-Avizanda, A., van Klink, R., Kuemmerle, T., Lomba, A., Pe’er, G., Plieninger, T., Rey Benayas, J., M., Sandom, C., J., Svenning, J.-C., Wheeler, H., C. (2019) ‘Rewilding complex ecosystems’, Science, 364 (6438).
Prior, J., Ward, K., J. (2016) ‘Rethinking rewilding: A response to Jørgensen’, Geoforum, 69, 132-135.
Soga, M., Gaston, K., J. (2018) ‘Shifting baseline syndrome: causes, consequences, and implications’, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 16(4), 222-230.
Ward, K., J., Prior, J. (2020) ‘The Reintroduction of Beavers to Scotland: Rewilding, Biopolitics, and the Affordance of Non-human Autonomy’, Conservation & Society, 18(2), 103-113.