Artificial Intelligence for Interspecies Communication | Manuel Axel Strain at Vancouver AI

At Vancouver AI, artist‑researcher Manuel Axel Strain proposes ethical AI systems for plant communication and mycelium networks, guided by Indigenous data sovereignty and UNDRIP.

- Join BC + AI: https://bc-ai.ca/membership/
- Next Vancouver AI meetup: https://luma.com/vancouver-ai
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Vancouver AI Meetup #21 hosts Manuel Axel Strain for a radical question: Can we build AI that listens to plants without extracting? This talk connects Indigenous knowledge, mycelium networks, and non‑invasive sensors to imagine ecological AI that supports forest regeneration.

What you’ll learn
• The difference between biomimicry and true plant communication systems
• How electrical, chemical, and acoustic plant signals can be detected without harm
• Why protocol before product matters: UNDRIP, Indigenous data governance, and consent
• A roadmap for ethical AI in environmental sensing: taxonomy building, sensor design, and evaluation metrics

Why Vancouver's AI Scene Builds Different:
Geographic reality shapes development. Building on unceded Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh territories means protocol before product. Communities who understand extraction intimately hold tech accountable.

0:00 – Cold open: “Incoming transmission” + tee-up for Manny
0:36 – Last month’s sweaty marathon + why we re-built the program
1:04 – Jesse on 221A: who we are + why it matters
1:49 – FAIR data mission (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable)
2:10 – Accelerator news: 221A × Brink + October cohort
3:03 – Introducing artist Manuel/Manny Axel Strain (two-spirit, all pronouns)
3:40 – Language + land: downriver hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, səlilwətaɬ/Squamish/Musqueam; place = sənáḵw
4:26 – Practice + role: Vines Art Society co-artistic director; why this project
5:29 – Richmond Art Gallery work: “Together with Paclitaxel” (AI-assisted imagery)
7:28 – “Lithium over a Forest Fire”: climate, mind, and interconnection
9:06 – Micro-medicine + mycelium networks; grandma, cedar, air
11:03 – How the images were made: raw AI outputs → Columbia River pictograph style
12:19 – “Everything is medicine” + remembering earth in everything we touch
12:59 – Talking with trees: dreams, songs, protocols, and jokes from dad :)
15:12 – Creation story + the Transformer: rocks, animals, plants, kin
16:51 – The spark: “What is that tree saying to that tree?”
18:02 – The plan: sensors, non-invasive signals, singing → interpret → translate (?)
20:05 – Will joins: building a taxonomy of plant communication (9+ sciences)
21:58 – First forest demo + playful plant dialogue; why connection tools help
22:45 – What Manny needs: collaborators, sensors, non-invasive methods, funding
24:46 – Audience mic: offers, memories, community invites
25:33 – Hardware help: “Hypha” lighting company offer
26:44 – Protocol & consent: Indigenous knowledge, AI, and boundaries
28:30 – Elders’ guidance + consent-aware prompting (“it can just say no”)
30:09 – Tension: share vs. be left behind; Indigenomics context
30:47 – Valuing the commons: logic trees, watersheds, desire
31:56 – Intention vs. communication: measuring, honesty, data limits
33:41 – Why Coast Salish leadership matters here
35:28 – Jesse’s context: related works (AI almanacs, terra0), connecting the dots
36:06 – Close: gratitude + open invitation to build together

Resources Mentioned:

Traditional ecological knowledge frameworks
AI ethics for Indigenous contexts
Sensor technology for plant signal detection
Forest regeneration methodologies

Credits: Filmed & edited by Kevin Friel AKA Mister Pixel Wizard AKA Prompt Goblin and the Vancouver AI crew. Produced by Kris Krüg. Venue: H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vancouver, BC.

About Vancouver AI
Welcome to Vancouver AI, part of the BC + AI grassroots ecosystem. We host monthly meetups, hackathons, and jams where developers, artists, researchers, and community leaders explore what it means to build human-first, ethical AI. Everyone’s welcome... whether you’re coding models, writing poems, or just curious about where AI is headed.

About BC + AI
The BC + AI Ecosystem Association is Canada’s first community-powered AI association. We help businesses, institutions, and citizens navigate artificial intelligence through education, advocacy, and collaboration. Guided by principles of ethics, inclusivity, transparency, and sustainability, we champion AI that serves public good from climate resilience and healthcare equity to Indigenous language revitalization and creative expression.