Exploring Climate Change Through AI and Art: Philadelphia Artist’s Unique Approach

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As climate change continues to dominate headlines and shape communities, Philadelphia artist Sarah Kaizar is leveraging artificial intelligence to create an innovative platform for climate news. Through her project AT Feed, Kaizar blends current climate reporting with algorithmic creativity, reflecting a quirky yet meaningful exploration of how we interact with environmental news. This endeavor, hosted on TheArtBlog, invites readers to engage with climate issues through a unique lens while posing important questions about media consumption and public perception.

Climate Change and the News Landscape

From the Poconos to the Jersey Shore, people are increasingly interested in learning about climate change’s impacts in their regions. Recent scientific studies point to a warming atmosphere as a significant factor in the severity of natural disasters, such as wildfires in Los Angeles. However, public sentiment is divided. Politicians like Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson are skeptical, labeling the consensus on human-caused climate change as ‘corrupted science.’ In the midst of this debate, the question remains: how is the general public receiving and interpreting climate information?

Research from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication reveals that while 59% of Americans believe climate change is human-caused, only 21% understand that 90% of scientists agree on this fact. Such statistics highlight the challenge of effectively communicating climate science in a landscape filled with vast amounts of information—much of which is shaped by algorithms that cater to individual preferences.

The Creation of AT Feed

Against this backdrop, Kaizar developed AT Feed—an AI-assisted climate news aggregate. This project compiles and remixes climate-related articles from major news outlets, generating a biweekly, approximately 600-word round-up. Kaizar employs ChatGPT to blend these stories, producing a highly engaging and, at times, humorous take on the current state of affairs.

“I describe it as in the camp of political cartooning,” Kaizar explains. Her approach reflects a desire to critique existing news narratives while also questioning the effectiveness of standard climate journalism. By allowing the AI to generate playful and sometimes ‘click-baity’ headlines, she invites her audience to reconsider what constitutes meaningful news.

The Role of AI in Climate Reporting

Kaizar sets up RSS feeds from a variety of reputable news outlets, including BBC, NPR, and The Guardian. Every two weeks, she inputs selected articles into ChatGPT, asking it to create a cohesive narrative. Notably, she posts the AI-generated content verbatim, showcasing the unedited results of the artificial intelligence process.

In addition to the textual content, Kaizar also employs AI to generate accompanying visuals for AT Feed posts, which she then uses as inspiration for her own illustrations. The project reflects her background as a graphic designer and allows for a visually engaging experience for readers.

Conscious Consumption of Climate News

One of the goals of AT Feed is to prod readers to think critically about the type of climate news they consume. Data-driven reporting may not guarantee belief or understanding. Kaizar argues that our exposure to information shapes our worldviews, and she is curious about the implications of this. By juxtaposing light-hearted stories—like Australian crocodiles needing positive press—against serious issues, such as environmental lawsuits and international negotiations, Kaizar aims to reflect the absurdity and complexity of climate discourse.

“I understand us to be people who are very easily influenced and manipulated,” she says. This observation resonates with researchers who study the psychology of information consumption.

Environmental Impact of AI

In a nod to the ecological consequences of her project, Kaizar also includes an estimate of the carbon dioxide emissions generated from running ChatGPT for each AT Feed post. Producing a column roughly results in the same amount of CO2 emitted from driving 30 miles in a car, largely due to the materials used for her illustrations. This self-awareness adds another layer to her work, inviting an examination of the environmental footprint of digital content creation.

The Evolution of AT Feed

Kaizar sees AT Feed as an evolving project—one that she is still defining as she goes along. She approached TheArtBlog with the concept, noting that the idea was only partially formed. The founding director, Roberta Fallon, recognized the potential for AT Feed to serve as an art project that critiques mainstream journalism’s shortcomings.

“I see this in the long history of activist art,” Fallon observes, noting the ongoing need for creative engagement with pressing societal issues. In this sense, AT Feed can be seen as both a commentary on climate reporting and an artistic exploration of how these narratives unfold.

Future Implications and Key Takeaways

AT Feed is set to continue for a year, with each installment offering a fresh perspective on the rapid changes that climate news undergoes. For Kaizar, the project has served as an emotional outlet amid the overwhelming nature of climate discourse. As she engages with her readers, she challenges them to consider their own responses to climate issues and the role of media in shaping public understanding.

In an age where climate change is a critical concern, projects like AT Feed highlight the creative approaches needed to engage audiences meaningfully. As new art and media forms emerge, they underscore the necessity of finding relevance and clarity in an ever-increasing flow of information.

In summary, as climate change continues to be a contentious topic, artists and innovators like Sarah Kaizar remind us of the potential for creativity to drive awareness and action. While the landscape of climate news is vast and complex, engaging with it through a blend of art and technology may pave new pathways for understanding and dialogue.