# Introduction - **Focus Question**: How do we appreciate AI art if, following [[Allen Carlson]], we must appreciate something “for what it in fact is”? - **Motivating Parallel**: Carlson insists on [[scientific knowledge]] of nature’s generative processes ([[natura naturans]]) for informed appreciation of natural environments. We’ll argue similarly about generative AI ([[machina naturans]]). - **Thesis Statement**: By recognizing AI systems as environment-like (with processes akin to [[natura naturans]]/naturata), we can develop a framework for appreciating AI art that parallels Carlson’s approach to [[environmental aesthetics]]. # 1. Appreciating Natura Carlson makes two recommendations when it comes to [[aesthetic appreciation]] of the environment: > First...as in our appreciation of works of art, we must appreciate nature as what it in fact is, that is, as natural and as an environment. Second, it recommends that we must appreciate nature in light of our knowledge of what it is, that is, in light of knowledge provided by the natural sciences, especially the environmental sciences such as geology, biology, and ecology. [[The natural environmental]] model thus accommodates both the true character of nature and our normal experience and understanding of it. - In Carlson’s view, natural environments exhibit what he calls an “[[organic unity]]” with their environment of creation. He suggests that natural objects and the conditions that shape them are connected, and that recognising this connection can enrich our aesthetic engagement. > natural objects possess what we might call an [[organic unity]] with their environments of creation: such objects are a part of and have developed out of the elements of their environments by means of [[the forces]] at work within those environments. Thus the environments of creation are aesthetically relevant to natural objects. And for this reason the environments of display are equally relevant in virtue of the fact that these environments will be either the same as or different from the environments of creation - Carlson’s ideas about unity can be illustrated through Spinoza’s concepts: [[natura naturans]] points to the ongoing, generative processes of nature, and [[natura naturata]] refers to the more stable features that emerge. By seeing how these forces and elements interrelate, we grasp the environment as an interconnected whole. - This brings us back to Carlson’s second recommendation: that we appreciate nature “in the light of” the natural sciences. Different natural sciences can be understood as studying different interlocking strata of naturans and naturata.  - For example, in cellular biology, the processes of cell division or gene expression can be seen as [[natura naturans]], while stable cellular structures, such as membranes or organelles, are instances of [[natura naturata]]; ecology examines interactions like pollination or predator-prey dynamics (naturans) and the resulting forest ecosystems or reef structures (naturata). - Knowing how organisms coexist or compete in a forest shows us how each species fits into the larger pattern of growth, offering an aesthetic appreciation of the environment’s balance. - Observing symbiosis and nutrient cycles in reefs or woodlands reveals hidden networks that give these habitats their particular look and feel, beyond just surface impressions. # 2. Machina  notes that environments “come about naturally,” meaning they develop and change under these influences. - * Recognizing this unity involves seeing how each component is related to the larger environment, as well as understanding the processes that shape or alter it. * Spinoza’s terms can help here. * Natura naturans refers to the active, generative side of nature—for example, seeds sprouting or waves eroding a coastline—while natura naturata designates the relatively stable results, such as plants or cliffs. * Thinking in these terms highlights how nature’s constant activity and its tangible forms are both part of one larger unity, rather than separate phenomena. Role of Scientific Knowledge Ecological and geological knowledge reveals how natura naturans shapes natura naturata. Scientific insight heightens our aesthetic appreciation by showing the processes behind what we see. **Analogy to Nature** - Generative AI systems “grow” through training data and algorithms, similar to natural processes in nature. - Outputs (texts, images) are emergent, akin to natura naturata—products of complex, partly hidden processes. - **Reasons to See AI as Environment** - No single user or creator can fully control a generative model’s internal patterns. - Interaction with AI is iterative, more like tending a garden than traditional top-down design. ## Forces of Machina Naturans - **Technical Processes** - Neural network architecture, training objectives (loss functions), and iterative updates guide AI’s “growth.” - The “encoded corpus” of data shapes the system’s potential outputs, analogous to geological/ecological constraints. - **User Engagement** - Prompts function like seeds or initial conditions; users “prune” or “nudge” outputs via iteration. - Partial but not total control—mirroring how gardeners can guide but not micromanage plant growth. - **Knowledge-Based Appreciation** - Familiarity with AI’s generative constraints and underlying data enriches one’s sense of the final artifacts. - Awareness of biases, scope of training, or system architecture parallels ecological/geological knowledge in natural aesthetics. ## Conclusion - **Synthesis** - As Carlson’s approach to nature uses scientific understanding to appreciate ecological unity, so we use AI knowledge to appreciate machina naturans. - Recognizing AI systems as environment-like grounds a fresh way to see AI artworks: not as static “products,” but as emergent expressions of generative processes. - **Implications** - This perspective offers an alternative to debates over AI “agency” or “mere tool” views. - Emphasizes the role of user engagement and knowledge in AI art appreciation, paralleling Carlson’s emphasis on scientific knowledge in environmental aesthetics.