AI Outstanding ‘Into The Woods’ Explores Forests Anew And Stirs Ways That AI Can Reimagine Nature Journeys By Lance Eliot ,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Dr. Lance B. Eliot is a world-renowned AI scientist and consultant. Follow Author Aug 23, 2026, 10:08pm EDT Summary A new documentary, "Into the Woods," by David and Hi-Jin Kang Hodge, explores the profound connection between forests and our daily lives, encouraging viewers to perceive them as vibrant, living communities. The film features experts in forest ecology, sustainable architecture, and landscape design, offering fresh perspectives on forest management, human impact, and biodiversity. Additionally, the author details his innovative use of AI to enrich forest visits, leveraging it for pre-trip planning, enhanced observation during excursions, and post-visit reflection. He emphasizes AI's capacity to deepen nature appreciation, while advising caution regarding privacy and connectivity. The piece ultimately advocates for a deeper understanding and respect for our essential forests.
New documentary "Into the Woods" raises awareness about forests and stirs ways that AI can behoove nature journeys. getty In today’s column, I examine a new and exciting documentary entitled “Into the Woods” that offers a timely and engaging look at how forests and our daily lives intersect, even if you are a city dweller who rarely gets a chance to visit forests. The wood that underlies your home or multi-story building was undoubtedly sourced from a forest. It is useful to take a reflective moment and give due consideration to what forests do for us, and what we do for forests.
There is an added nuance to the forest topic that I would like to bring to your attention. I dip into AI to assist me when I aim to visit a forest. Yes, I use generative AI and large language models (LLMs) as an informative guide for my nature romps. This includes asking AI for suggestions when preparing for a forest visit, using AI while in a forest and desirous of expanding my experience there, and on a post-visit debriefing basis. I realize that using AI in this fashion might seem contrary to the purity of engaging in nature, but if done properly, AI can be a big boost and potential lifesaver.
Let’s talk about it. This analysis of AI breakthroughs is part of my ongoing Forbes column coverage of the latest in AI, including identifying and explaining key AI complexities (see the link here ).
Readers might recall that I previously reviewed an excellent documentary entitled “Life on Wheels” that cleverly explored the mobility revolution; see my review at the link here , and that I also examined the film “Walk With Me,” which showcases the immense benefits that walking brings to both body and mind; see my discussion at the link here . Both of those films are worth their weight in gold.
The top-notch filmmakers who made those films, namely the seasoned and acclaimed duo of David Hodge and Hi-Jin Kang Hodge (see their website at the link here ), have recently released their latest documentary “Into the Woods” and have once again done an incredible job of revealing something of an eye-catching nature. In this case, they are in fact focused on nature itself, namely the inner and outer world of our forests throughout the globe. The film is available on Amazon Prime, Vimeo on Demand, and several other platforms.
As aptly mentioned in the description of the “Into the Woods” documentar…