Emotions
Can AI portray emotion? The element that must surely set us apart from computers. Feelings. Emotive words have been included in the following prompts to see how this affects the image.
How do the images make you feel?
A Lone Penguin - Many believe that AI art can indeed portray emotion. While traditionally we might think of emotions as a uniquely human characteristic, AI art offers a new perspective on this idea. By analysing patterns in training data, AI algorithms can potentially create artworks that evoke a range of emotions in the viewer. To demonstrate this, we have included emotive words in the following prompts to see how this affects the AI-generated images. Do you see sadness or joy? Tension or tranquility? Do the colours, shapes, and textures evoke a particular emotion within you? By exploring these questions, we can deepen our understanding of the relationship between AI and human emotion, and begin to appreciate the unique ways in which AI art can contribute to our cultural landscape. Prompt: A single penguin looking into the abyss waiting for something. It’s dark and you can feel something is watching it digital painting style (Prompt credit: Aldaine Wynter) Model: DALL-E v2.Exp (2023)
A Lone Penguin - The innate social nature of penguins, thriving in groups, makes these images all the more poignant. The enigmatic backdrop serves to intensify our curiosity about the circumstances that led to this solitary penguin's ostracism from the huddle. A profound sense of empathy emerges as we contemplate the isolation experienced by the lone penguin, triggering sentiments of longing and yearning for connection. It serves as a reminder of the complexities of social dynamics in the natural world. Yet, amidst the initial sorrow, a spark of resilience and determination resonates, urging us to consider the inner strength of the solitary figure as it navigates its unique path. These images ultimately weave a profound connection between the viewer and the solitary penguin, encapsulating the universal human longing for belonging. Prompt: A single penguin looking into the abyss waiting for something. It’s dark and you can feel something is watching it digital painting style (Prompt credit: Aldaine Wynter) Model: DALL-E v2.Exp
Rosalind Franklin - Perhaps one of the more complicated stories of recent science history. Rosalind Franklin was a groundbreaker in the field of crystallography. It was an X-ray photo of a DNA crystal that Franklin took that ultimately confirmed the double helix structure of DNA. She is often termed a 'wronged heroine' as she received little recognition for this feat in her lifetime. Recent evidence has, however, disputed this and suggested that she was seen as an equal player in the structural discovery. We tried to capture some of the emotion that Franklin is disputed to have felt in her lifetime in this set of images. The mood of the prompt 'melancholic' is subjectively seen in this crude rendering of a photo portrait. Prompt: a black and white melancholic photo portrait of Rosalind Franklin sat in an ornate chair looking dejected after receiving little recognition for her contributions towards the discovery of the structure of DNA Model: DALL-E v2.0 (2022)
Rosalind Franklin - DALL-E still struggles to capture the likeness of well-known people when compared to other text-to-image models. This may be intentional however, an attempt to avoid DALL-E produced images spreading fake news about celebrities that is currently testing our critical analysis skills. The experimental image is far more lifelike. There is an artistic quality to the lighting adding to the mood and a somewhat Mona-Lisa-esque ambiguity to Franklin's facial expression which reflects the uncertainty over the full story of Franklin's recognition for her work in her lifetime. Prompt: a black and white melancholic photo portrait of Rosalind Franklin sat in an ornate chair looking dejected after receiving little recognition for her contributions towards the discovery of the structure of DNA Model: DALL-E v2.Exp (2023)
Rushing in the Storm - Although techniques like adding motion blur in photography can produce comparable effects, it is intriguing to observe the impact of descriptive terms like "lively" and "rushing" in this particular prompt. The AI model has astutely interpreted these evocative words, resulting in an image imbued with a captivating sense of blur and movement. The intentional blurring introduces a sense of tension, further heightening the atmosphere within the scene. Prompt: A lively Kodachrome photograph of a rainforest during a storm with people rushing for cover. Model: DALL-E v2.0 (2022)
Rushing in the Storm - The evolution of colour photography is a captivating subject. It began with experiments by scientists Prokudin-Gorsky and Maxwell, who ingeniously utilised black and white film in conjunction with red, green, and blue filters to create anachronistic colour photographs. The Lumière Brothers then introduced the autochrome process, further advancing the realm of colour photography. Eventually, in the 1930s, the advent of Kodachrome marked a significant milestone as the first subtractive colour photography technique. This particular image shows a faint resemblance to the early colour film, albeit with a striking divergence in terms of colour saturation. There is an undeniable sense of vitality. The subjects depicted seem to possess an uncanny lifelike quality, as if their movements are perpetually on the cusp of animating the moment your eyes shift away. Prompt: A lively Kodachrome photograph of a rainforest during a storm with people rushing for cover. Model: DALL-E v2.Exp (2023)
Happiness - We come to the final set of images in our exhibition. We hope that you have enjoyed looking at how drastically this incredible technology from OpenAI has developed in the space of one year. These beautiful portraits conclude this showcase. Even last year's model does a wonderful job of capturing a photo portrait in a chiaroscuro style. The striking contrast of light and shadow. The face effortlessly emerges from the dark. Although it was not stipulated in the prompt, the image also captures what is commonly known as Rembrandt lighting. The illuminated triangle gracing the lady's right cheek is characteristic of this lighting technique and it makes for a beautiful composition and heightening visual impact. We wanted to text if AI is able to generate facial expressions indicative of common emotions and this lady's expression certainly is contented. Prompt: portrait of a happy old lady in a chiaroscuro style Model DALL-E v2.0 (2022)
Happiness - Although there is a much better image quality in the experimental model's interpretation of the prompt some of the compositional impact has been lost with the omission of the Rembrandt lighting. The chiaroscuro is still prevalent, and is arguably almost sfumato in quality, a technique pioneered by Leonardo, named for the smokey quality of the transitions from light to dark he created in his portraits. When looked at side by side with the previous image, the portrayal of skin flicks between lifelike in texture and uncanny in shininess, almost looking robotic around the cheeks. In terms of the emotion however, the joy in this image is truly palpable, leaving us to ponder a world where AI can portray emotions so effectively. How does this make you feel? Prompt: portrait of a happy old lady in a chiaroscuro style Model: DALL-E v2.Exp (2023)