“My name is Johanna, and I am a professional artist working in illustration and design. I am a practising animist and witch. I don’t use any form of generative AI in my work. Illustrations, graphic design, photographs, videos, or texts - everything I put out into the world was created with my own hands and brain.

In my opinion, any form of AI-generated content is unethical and untenable on any level. There is plenty of research available showing the negative impact of AI-technology on its users, society, and the environment. I think it’s important to emphasize that generative AI is anti-nature (and therefore anti-human), horrendous for the environment, and incredibly harmful for its users’ cognitive functions, as well as their emotional and psychological well-being. Generative AI is a form of digital, environmental and human exploitation.

The images and texts produced by generative AI are not art. They are data amalgamations sourced on thousands of stolen artworks - Frankensteined copies of art that are soulless and empty at best. Art is not only about aesthetics. It is the most important form of human expression, a language to communicate what we can’t say verbally. Art is a way to connect with others through time and space, and potentially one of the most impactful forms of magic we as humans possess.

There is no place for generative AI in any form of nature-based spirituality. AI is artificial - though not intelligent in any way as its output clearly shows - and therefore the opposite of any spiritual practice, which is by design authentic, raw, and human-made. 

In my opinion, it is disgusting to use any form of AI generated content to promote so-called spiritual events, workshops, or products. There is no acceptable reason or excuse for this. The least people, who use this technology, could do is to be honest about it and label “their content” as AI generated. It may be worth asking oneself if it is really okay to sell nature-based spirituality when the majority of your business is based on a technology that actively destroys the planet.

I wholeheartedly believe that each and every one of us actively shapes the world we want to live in. 

We have to leave the world a better place than we found it. It is our responsibility to live in a way that serves not only our personal well-being but promotes the well-being of all species we share this earth with.

There are many small and big things you can do. Disengage from AI. Don’t feed data into ChatGPT and call it a conversation. Go outside and talk to the local crows instead. I can promise you, they have more profound answers for you than a machine. Meet people in person, read a book, pick up a pencil. Normalise using your brain. 

What we do while we are here matters.”