I Built an AI That Tells You to Stop Using AI and Go Outside 🌿

An AI called NatureQuest has been designed to encourage people to spend less time on their screens and more time outdoors. Created for Hacktoberfest 2026's Touch Grass challenge, NatureQuest functions as an outdoor activity companion, powered by open-weight AI.

The core idea behind NatureQuest is to generate personalized outdoor challenges based on factors such as the amount of time a user has, the type of activity they desire, and the level of difficulty they prefer. For example, if someone has 45 minutes and wants an easy outdoor activity, NatureQuest could suggest a 20-minute walk where they search for and identify three different leaf shapes, pause to listen to their surroundings for two minutes, and find an element in nature they hadn't previously observed. The ultimate aim is for the screen to play the smallest role in the overall experience.

One of the key aspects of NatureQuest is its use of an open-weight AI model, rather than relying solely on a closed AI API. This open-source approach allows for greater flexibility in terms of local inference, experimentation, privacy, and customization. Users can engage with the app, generate a quest, and then disconnect their phone from the experience, adhering to a "no-screen" mode.

Once a quest has been generated, users can start it and put their phone away. While many apps try to keep users within their app, NatureQuest encourages users to leave it behind. The application utilizes an open-weight Gemma model for generating personalized outdoor quests, which in turn prompts users to venture outside and engage with their environment.

The name "Touch Grass" reflects the core concept of the project - to get users away from their screens and back into nature. While the project currently focuses on generating outdoor challenges, there are plans to expand its capabilities to include features such as plant and nature photo identification, bird-call identification, outdoor route recommendations, weather-aware quests, gardening challenges, and outdoor achievements.

However, the fundamental principle remains the same: AI should occasionally help us utilize our screens less. Thus, the project encourages users to build with AI, and then head outdoors to "touch some grass."