When the forest makes policy recommendations

Photo: Nonhuman Nonsense 

Tell us briefly about the prototype. What questions are you exploring through your future prototype?

- What would an ancient pine tree say about clear-cutting? How would fish react to a hydroelectric power plant? Does Kan AI embody the wisdom of a river, a tree or a herd of reindeer?

The Forest Parliament is a digital artwork in the form of a website, created by Nonhuman Nonsense in collaboration with the Vindelälven–Juhttátahkka Biosphere Reserve. The project also includes a short film documenting a research journey through the area. Take a look at the digital forest parliament here: The Council of Forest

Genom AI brings together non-human beings – trees, fish, bumblebees, mountains and reindeer – to deliberate about the future of their common home. Their voices and characters are shaped by a variety of perspectives, including indigenous worldviews and ecological science. They are based on interviews and conversations with people who live in and care for the area around the Vindelälven River – reindeer herders, forest owners, biologists, pollinator experts and cultural workers – all with a deep connection to the place.

The Forest Parliament serves as a forum where forest dwellers discuss the consequences of human impacts, such as logging, rewilding and climate change. People are invited to listen and interact, ask questions and reflect. Each session concludes with a joint statement and policy recommendation from the forest.

The project is an experiment in ecological thinking and speculative design – an investigation into how technology can mediate between humans and non-humans. What does it mean to act in the best interest of the forest? Whose knowledge counts? And what happens when we take non-human voices seriously?

Who are you trying to reach?

- Med Skogsparlamentet, we want to reach out to several target groups – everything from educators, decision-makers, politicians, the general public and people involved in biosphere reserves, the rights of nature and nature conservation.

We hope that the Forest Parliament can serve as an educational tool to create unexpected and innovative dialogues about nature, ethics and technology. By personifying the inhabitants of the forest and giving them a voice, we want, with humor and empathy, to reach even those who otherwise do not reflect on their relationship with nature.

The project challenges the binary worldview where nature is seen as an object that can be owned and humans as subjects with rights – a hierarchy that enables the exploitation of nature and exacerbates crises such as biodiversity loss and climate change.

The idea that the universe is a community of subjects – not a collection of objects – is found in many cultures, especially among indigenous peoples. Their worldview has inspired movements such as the "Rights of Nature" with legislation such as the Bolivias Law of the Rights of Mother Earth and Nya Zeelands legal recognition of, for example, a forest as a legal subject.

We are also inspired by Bruno Latours Parliament of Things – a concept where nature and objects are given a place in political decisions via human representatives. In our project we create a similar parliament, but let AI represent the forest.

How is the prototype designed? And how have your target groups been able to interact with the prototype?

- The Forest Parliament is a digital platform – a website – where the forest speaks for itself through AI based on large language models (LLMs). The conversation is generated live, making each meeting unique. Visitors can interact and influence the conversation at any time. At the end, a meeting summary and a policy recommendation are generated.

The project also includes a short film from our research journey through the biosphere reserve, where people with deep place roots were interviewed. These conversations have shaped the voices, opinions and personalities of the non-human beings.

The project was presented and the prototype tested during a 1.5 hour session in collaboration with the biosphere reserve, attended by approximately 50 people, where we received reactions and feedback on the project. The website and film are open to all and have been shared with interview participants, via the biosphere reserve and other collaborating organizations.

Photo: Nonhuman Nonsense

What thoughts and feelings has the prototype aroused in the target group?

- The prototype was shown to a diverse audience who gave mostly positive feedback and constructive suggestions. It was perceived as both a work of art and a research project; one participant put it this way:

" The video gave a weight.. It's not a toy but a research work, a work of art."

Suggestions included making the characters' speech more natural and concise to better reflect real-life decision-making processes. There was particular interest in how a council of different species with different needs might make decisions and compromise.

Some suggested including human voices – such as a local politician – to challenge the boundary between human and non-human. Others opposed this and argued that the focus should remain on the non-human perspectives. As one participant put it:

" I think if you add more characters and human characters, it almost becomes like a movie. You know, I sit back and watch. I think more about interactivity than more human characters. More interactivity with real people."

Beyond artistic aspects, participants saw potential in urban ecology and education – where both planners and students can engage with ecological issues. Participation from decision-makers was encouraged.

At the same time, it was emphasized that the prototype should complement – not replace – direct nature experiences, and invite physical presence and relationship with the forest.

Photo: Nonhuman Nonsense

What are your plans for the prototype going forward?

- We want the Forest Parliament to function as a tool for education, exhibitions and policy dialogues. We are in dialogue with the biosphere reserve about using the project locally – in both cultural and educational contexts. In parallel, we are investigating the possibility of using the project within a policy lab that works with art and design. We have also been invited to exhibit the website and the film in a digital international exhibition in Athens.

Going forward, we plan to develop a Swedish version of the website and to delve deeper into the AI characters and the themes discussed.

Thank you so much Linnea and Filips!
Read more about Vinnova's transformation journey for a sustainable forest value chain