Experimenting with AI for building worlds
Written on October 20th, 2023 by Dialekti Valsamou-Stanislawski
Mixed media, research
2022-2024
Description
My collaborative worldbuilding projects using AI follow an exploratory and open-ended approach, guided by materials, emotions, ideas, and fragments of imagination—without any predefined goal. Working with various AI models and less sophisticated tools, I move away from traditional artistic methods to explore the boundaries of expression, the possibilities of imagination, and new ways of creating.
Fascinated by mythology and narrative creation, I engage with synthetic and organic spirits shaped by centuries of existing myths and stories. Using AI as a modern oracle, I tap into the collective knowledge embedded in these models, allowing me to see the world through augmented lenses informed by the history of human thought.
At times, I deliberately incorporate playful aesthetics, paradoxes, and pop culture references, maintaining a certain lightness in my work. These experiments with future materials, biomimicry, and transhumanism often draw from scientific literature and emerging technologies, enlisting AI as a tool for imagining the future and exploring the complex relationship between humans and machines in the creative process.
Experimental Materials
I have experimented with a wide variety of materials, paying equal attention to their textures and composition. My explorations extend to future materials and their representations, merging technical and biological perspectives.
Influenced by the theme of biomimicry, I integrated science fiction, everyday observations, and scientific publications (such as Communications Chemistry, Nature Reviews Materials, Systems and Synthetic Biology, etc.) with MidJourney to generate visual representations of what these materials might look like—or, more accurately, how the artistic collective consciousness, as interpreted by AI, imagines them.
In the first series, I created robots made from these new materials. The images presented here correspond to:
- (a) A robot constructed from peptide structures mimicking collagen.
- (b) A robot made of mycelium.
- (c) A shape-memory alloy wormbot, inspired by a study from Scientific Reports on flexible, jointless robotic movement.
Robots as part of material experimentation: (a) Peptide bot. (b) Mycelium bot. (c) Alloy worm bot. AI-generated images.
For the second series, I used the form of a decorative human skull to imagine souvenirs from the future, made from these futuristic materials—blending technical speculation, social imaginaries, and ritualistic elements.
Souvenirs from the future, AI-generated material experiments: (a) Marine debris skull. (b) Fibrin skull. (c) Fluorosilicate glass skull.
Hybrid Societies
Inspired by the beings discovered during my work on “êtres sauvages” (presented later), I used various AI tools to create chimeras, hybrids, and other symbiotic creatures. Some series focused solely on the aesthetic and visual aspects of these beings, while others—such as those presented below—include written narratives that develop their stories and universes.
Technical Process
For the series “Mycelium People” and “Legends of Universe #876”, I generated images primarily using MidJourney (occasionally DALL-E2) and wrote the initial stories myself. Several months later, I revisited these universes, expanding them by co-writing narratives with ChatGPT-3.5 and 4.
Mycelium People
“As the thick nanoparticle clouds covered the skies and the water came to every corner, the humidity and warmth created an unexpected safe haven under the forest canopies.
Transhumanism and chimerization had been illegal for a while, but the law didn’t reach as far as these woods.
One can only assume that it didn’t take long for biohackers and rogue agents to prevail in this new community, as the human body hadn’t evolved to live in such conditions.
The abundant mycelium became a source of energy, nutrition, companionship, and, gradually, a part of the people of the forest.
The hybridization process was as reckless as it was artisanal. The resulting genetic richness proved to be a key component for the survival of this new species.”
(Excerpt from the original text I wrote for this world.)
AI-generated images based on the legend above.
Legends of Universe #876, aka The Koiverse
The Tale of Hikari and Yami – The CatBorg Chronicles
In the distant universe from which the CatBorgs hailed, there was a land shrouded in mystery and intrigue. This land, known as Nekomura, was home to countless CatBorgs, each with unique abilities and traits.
In this realm, two CatBorgs, Hikari and Yami, were destined to have their fates intertwined.
An ancient prophecy, passed down through generations of CatBorgs, foretold that Hikari and Yami would one day engage in a fierce battle that would determine the fate of their world.
As fate would have it, the two warriors found themselves on opposing sides of a great conflict engulfing Nekomura.
…
The Koi people, upon receiving this revelation, learned of the true nature of the CatBorgs and the importance of balance between opposing forces.
This tale became an integral part of Koi culture, serving as a reminder that even the most powerful beings must find harmony to overcome adversity.
(Excerpts from a narrative co-written by me and ChatGPT-4, based on elements of the universe we created together.)
AI-generated images based on the legends.
The Koimen, as depicted in image (c), belong to the caste responsible for clerical and administrative factions of society. Their bodies are a fusion of fish and human, but they continuously modify themselves and their offspring, both for performance and aesthetic reasons. Likely due to their aquatic origins, they are an extremely laconic people. Their behavior can sometimes appear unpredictable, as they shift between their formal, ritualistic roles and their highly expressive social life.
