Eco-System Upgrade: AI Plants a Digital Forest at NVIDIA GTC

The ecosystem around NVIDIA’s technologies has always been verdant — but this is absurd.

After a stunning premiere at the World Economic Forum in Davos, immersive artworks based on Refik Anadol Studio’s Large Nature Model will come to the U.S. for the first time at NVIDIA GTC.

Offering a deep dive into the synergy between AI and the natural world, Anadol’s multisensory work, “Large Nature Model: A Living Archive,” will be situated prominently on the main concourse of the San Jose Convention Center, where the global AI event is taking place, from March 18-21.

Fueled by NVIDIA’s advanced AI technology, including powerful DGX A100 stations and high-performance GPUs, the exhibit offers a captivating journey through our planet’s ecosystems with stunning visuals, sounds and scents.

These scenes are rendered in breathtaking clarity across screens with a total output of 12.5 million pixels, immersing attendees in an unprecedented digital portrayal of Earth’s ecosystems.

Refik Anadol, recognized by The Economist as “the artist of the moment,” has emerged as a key figure in AI art. His work, notable for its use of data and machine learning, places him at the forefront of a generation pushing the boundaries between technology, interdisciplinary research and aesthetics. Anadol’s influence reflects a wider movement in the art world towards embracing digital innovation, setting new precedents in how art is created and experienced.

Exhibition Details

• Location: Main concourse at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, ensuring easy access for all GTC attendees.
• Total experience hours: Available from 5-7 p.m., providing a curated window to engage with the installation fully.
• Screen dimensions: The installation features two towering screens, each four meters high. The larger, four-by-12-meter screen displays the “Large Nature Model: Living Archive,” showcasing Anadol’s centerpiece. A second, four-by-six-meter screen offers a glimpse into the process of building the Large Nature Model.

A Gateway to Digital Nature

Large Nature Model is a generative AI model focused exclusively on nature.

This installation exemplifies AI’s unique potential to capture nature’s inherent intelligence, aiming to redefine our engagement with and appreciation of Earth’s ecosystems.

Anadol has been working with nature-based datasets throughout his career, and began working with rainforest data years ago.

The Large Nature Model, on which the work being shown at GTC is based, continues to evolve. It represents the work of a team of 29 data scientists, graphic designers and AI specialists from around the world, all working under the umbrella of the Refik Anadol Studio.

The Large Nature Model showcased at GTC is fine-tuned using the Getty Images foundation model built using the NVIDIA Edify architecture. The model is fine-tuned on an extensive dataset of approximately 750,000 images, comprising 274,947 images of flora, 358,713 images of fauna and 130,282 images of fungi — showcasing the rich biodiversity of the Amazonian rainforest.

Insights Into the Making

Alongside the visual feast, a panel discussion featuring Anadol and colleagues from the Refik Anadol Studio will provide insights into their research and design processes.

Moderated by Brian Dowdy, a senior technical marketing engineer at NVIDIA, the discussion will explore the collaborative efforts, technical challenges and creative processes that make such pioneering art possible.

The creation of the Large Nature Model represents six months of rigorous development and collaboration with NVIDIA researchers, underscoring the dedication and interdisciplinary effort required to bring this innovative vision to life.

Register for GTC today to join this immersive journey into the heart of nature, art and AI innovation.