Paper presented at "The Infrastructures of Socio-Ecological Knowing in the City" workshop at King's college London, in preparation of a special issue due for publication early 2025

In the project "Data Poets," we propose a place-based research methodology that weaves the experiential richness of human sensorial engagement with the potential of generative AI, to reimagine socio-ecological knowing in urban spaces. Drawing from Heidegger's concept of Dasein — 'being-in-the-world' — and Bachelard's "Poetics of Space," this approach looks to the human as an embodied agent, not just a data source, in exploring urban environments.

The 'Data Poets' are AI-powered devices used in psychogeographic walks across Glasgow. These devices serve as data collectors and conversational partners that interpret, echo or contrast the sensorial experiences of participants. This interaction creates a dialogic space where the AI's output becomes a reflective tool, intriguing for its capacity to both align with and diverge from human perceptions.

We seek to discern what can be perceived and recalled through human senses and cognition — the smells, sounds, textures and lived experiences of the city — and how AI can initiate dialogues to deepen our understanding of these experiences. The project challenges the conventional data-centric narratives of urban ecology, emphasising the subjective, phenomenological aspects of urban life.