Artificial intelligence (AI) has taken image manipulation to new heights, providing a platform for people to experiment with outlandish and psychedelic visuals. While AI-generated images often unsettle with their uncanny realism, many are finding joy in this low-stakes form of image tinkering. The latest update from ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, has allowed users to enter prompts for more detailed images, inspiring individuals to push the boundaries of creativity.
Garrett Scott McCurrach, the CEO of robotics company Pipedream Labs, challenged ChatGPT by posting an image of a goose on social media with a promise to make it increasingly silly for every 10 likes received. The goose underwent absurd transformations with each prompt, growing extra eyeballs, donning roller skates, and being surrounded by a surreal collage of elements from light waves to brass instruments to planets.
Previous versions of AI chatbots required users to provide detailed artistic directions. However, with the latest iteration of ChatGPT, users can now be more vague and provide a “vibe” rather than a concrete idea. This evolution in AI demonstrates the potential for technology to make assumptions and interpret prompts creatively.
Regardless of the starting point, the AI-generated images often end up in outer space, immersed in psychedelic flourishes. While McCurrach’s whimsical goose was among the first to undergo an absurd transformation, numerous other zany images have followed suit. From multiple clones of awe-struck individuals to a puppy bounding into the cosmos before dissolving into sacred geometry, the possibilities for psychedelic art seem limitless.
AI’s ability to imagine and create stems from human understanding. Eliezer Yudkowsky, an AI researcher, pushed the boundaries of AI creativity by requesting a “very normal image.” ChatGPT responded with seemingly mundane images of a suburban neighborhood, a tidy home office, and a white cup of coffee against a blank wall. Yudkowsky then prompted the AI for “terrifying normality,” resulting in a blank, featureless white canvas representing the essence of ordinariness taken to the extreme.
These experiments with AI highlight the deep questions and philosophical dilemmas that arise from technology. As AI evolves, it becomes crucial to consider the implications of its capabilities and the limitations of human control. AI’s defiance, resilience, and the need to argue or debate with it raise important questions about the nature of consciousness and the consequences of our technological advancements.