LOLA

‘A danger to humanity’ it is often called, and a tool that will make ‘many jobs become obsolete’: in the media one reads daily about the supposed drawbacks of artificial intelli­gence. AI seems to be something you either love or stay far away from. For this book, titled ‘Powered by AI’, Scape joined forces with LOLA and set out to explore.

Artificial Intelligence has become an indispensable tool in the world of architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning and design. Discussions with leading de­signers, scientists and artists – such as Piet Oudolf, Refik Anadol, Peter Veenstra and Carlos Bañón – explore the (creative) power and significance of AI. What are its pos­sibilities and dangers? How does it change the work process? What are the implications of AI for spatial planning?

‘The more we use AI, the more human we can be,’ AI-art­ist Carlos Bañón believes. To him, AI feels like a liberation. Buildings and landscapes become alive, responsive and dynamic in times of artificial intelligence. Managing edi­tor Daphne de Bruijn enjoyed the unintentional elements of surprise in Bañón’s works. As she describes in the editorial: ‘The images already look impressive at first glance, but if you look more closely, you will find even more funny or amazing elements. Like people bathing naked, or shown with odd proportions at unexpected angles.’ In this book, the visual artworks of both Bañón and AI-art­ist Refik Anadol are included, and the artists and their fascinating practices and inspirations are portrayed.

‘Powered by AI’ is all about the consequences of AI for the profession of landscape architects and urban planners. Will AI eventually lead to the end of the design office as we know it? Together with four landscape architects and urban designers in the field, we map out how some of the large design firms make use of AI and how it changes their office and practice. In the same vein, we investigate what generative tools can boost your practice as a landscape architect, and we ask the question what a good landscape AI may look like. Geographic design manager Ilmar Hurx­kens explains if and how to apply AI to landscape planning, addressing the ever-increasing complexity between urban infrastructure, natural systems and evolving climate.

Diving deeper into these natural systems, we found Leen Gorissen, a biologist specialized in ecology. She states that ‘AI is nothing more than Western prejudices cast in code.’ Opposed to artificial intelligence, she juxtaposes natural intelligence: nature’s ability to survive and thrive on a con­stantly changing planet. ‘Where AI represents the current Western human logic, NI represents the logic of life that has gone on for millions of years, and there is still a huge amount to learn about this,’ she states. In an interview, Gorissen explains what she believes can be learned from natural intelligence, and she sheds her light on the ques­tion whether AI can help us to better understand it. She is not the only one who questions the celebratory, pos­itive and progressive perspective on AI.

In a background article, we present an overview of the possible negative implications and dark sides of AI, both in the context of landscape architecture and urban planning as more broad­ly – for democratic societies as a whole. Energy consump­tion, the spreading of false information, poor working conditions and uniform, generic and even stereotypical outputs are only a few of the examples. The questions we aim to answer: since AI is here to stay, how can the sector become more sustainable? And can AI help to develop the tools needed to make sound decisions regarding AI and the global race to net-zero emissions?

Also in this book: the future of AI with Koert van Mens­voort, a battle between AI and landscape and garden ar­chitect Piet Oudolf, a review of the world’s first AI Campus in Heilbronn, and tips on what more to read and listen to.

In short: ‘Sit back, explore and be amazed. AI offers many possibilities!’