Interspecies Interfaces in Artistic Contexts: Forest Signals as the Basis for Ecosystemic Intelligence

This article examines how artistic practice can inform alternative approaches to artificial intelligence by grounding computation in ecological relations. The authors detail the development of artworks situated in distinct forest systems that incorporate biodigital interfaces and custom-built software, with machine learning models trained on data from multispecies interactions and localized climate conditions. These locally deployed systems present an alternative conceptual model to large-scale corporate generative AI. Key to the discussion is the framing of intelligence as an emergent property of ecological relations and ecosystemic intelligence as a conceptual and technical framework for machine learning systems. The article details Cesar & Lois’s art-science residencies and establishes artistic research as a site for developing experimental technological systems and examining epistemological approaches to intelligence.