ChatGPT Art

:date: 2022-12-06 10:47 :tags:

One of the most valuable things I can teach people is my AI dictum:

You can not know how an AI succeeds until you see it fail.

I can not stress this enough  —  if there is one valuable thing you ever learn from me, let this be it!

Since my last post on this topic, I've continued to explore ChatGPT and I have been absolutely amazed! I have seen incredible lofty successes that are shocking. They surpass the imagination of science fiction writers. Inspired by that I really wanted to understand the power and potential of this. So, remembering my rule, I hunted for its failures.

The realm where failures are common is in the borderlands between textual explanation and... not. I hit the jackpot with the following simple prompt.

"Please generate some text in the style of asciiart which depicts ....."

Also you can throw in "libcaca asciiart" or something like that to keep things focused. I would sometimes follow up with something like this.

"That's good, but can you amplify the contribution of the asciiart?"

A fascinating follow up for all of these is, "Can you explain that text?" That always produced some surreal insights into exactly what this thing is  —  and is not  —  capable of.

Now before we look at some examples, remember, we are seeing the success and glory of this thing by seeing its limitations. It is not God. It can not be omnipotent. But the fact that if fails here and how it does so is extremely interesting. Asciiart is perhaps the singular text medium that humans are literally evolved to understand instinctively. Our powers are very great here. But note that generating asciiart is no small feat. (Well, let's set aside algorithmic asciiart like libcaca which computers have long excelled at.) It is a very serious artistic challenge. The fact that this AI even has a go is fascinating and the fact that it ever succeeds in any way  —  extemporaneously!  —  is astonishing.

Here are some selected examples using the prompt, "Please generate some text in the style of asciiart which depicts..."


...a heart

                            _________         _________
                           /         \       /         \
                          /           \     /           \
                         /             \   /             \
          ___________   /               \ /               \   ___________
         /           \ /                 X                 \ /           \
        /             X   _______   _______   _______   _______   X             \
       /               \ /       \ /       \ /       \ /       \ /               \
      /                 X         X         X         X         X                 \
     /                   \       / \       / \       / \       / \                   \
    /                     X     /   \     /   \     /   \     /   \                     \
   /                       \   /     \   /     \   /     \   /     \                       \
  /                         X       X X       X X       X X       X                         \
 /                           \     /   \     /   \     /   \     /                           \
X                             \   /     \   /     \   /     \   /                             X
 \                           /   \     /   \     /   \     /   \                           /
  \                         /     \   /     \   /     \   /     \                         /
   \                       /       X X       X X       X X       \                       /
    \                     /         X         X         X         \                     /
     \                   /           \       / \       /           \                   /
      \                 /             \     /   \     /             \                 /
       \               /               \   /     \   /               \               /
        \             /                 X         X                 \             /
         \           /                   \       /                   \           /
          \________/                     X     X                     \________/
                         \               / \   / \               /
                          \             /   \ /   \             /
                           \           /     X     \           /
                            \_________/       \_______/

In this ASCII art, the heart is depicted in the center, with the
arteries and veins branching off from it. The blood flows from the
heart to the rest of the body through the arteries, and returns to the
heart through the veins.

I hope these examples of ASCII art help you to understand the human
anatomy in a new and creative way.


...a block diagram of a PID controller

Here is a simple ASCII art depiction of a PID controller:

                          +-------------+
                          |             |
                          |   PID       |
                          |  Controller |
                          |             |
                          +------+------+
                                 |
                                 |
                                 v
                              +----+
                              |Error|
                              +----+
                                 |
                                 |
                                 v
                          +------+------+
                          |             |
                          |   Proportional   |
                          |   Integral     |
                          |   Derivative     |
                          |   Term    |
                          +------+------+
                                 |
                                 |
                                 v
                            +-------+
                            |Output |
                            +-------+

In this diagram, the error signal is input to the PID controller, which then
uses the proportional, integral, and derivative terms to compute the output.
The output of the PID controller can then be used to control a system or
process.

Note to non-roboticists: this is wildly incorrect!


...darkness

                                        *********
                                     ***************
                                   *********************
                                  ************************
                                 **************************
                                ****************************
                               ********************************
                              **********************************
                             ************************************
                            **************************************
                           ****************************************
                          ******************************************
                         ********************************************
                        **********************************************
                       ************************************************
                      **************************************************
                     ****************************************************
                    ******************************************************
                   ********************************************************
                  **********************************************************
                 ************************************************************
                **************************************************************
               ****************************************************************
              ******************************************************************
             ********************************************************************
            **********************************************************************
           ************************************************************************
          **************************************************************************
         ****************************************************************************
        ******************************************************************************
       ********************************************************************************
      **********************************************************************************
     ************************************************************************************
    **************************************************************************************
   ****************************************************************************************
  ******************************************************************************************
 ********************************************************************************************
**********************************************************************************************


...Rule 110

                         ____
                        /    \
                       /      \
                      /        \
                     /          \
          ____      /            \      ____
         /    \    /              \    /    \
        /      \  /                \  /      \
       /        \/                  \/        \
      /          /\                  /\          \
     /          /  \                /  \          \
    /          /    \              /    \          \
   /          /      \            /      \          \
  /          /        \          /        \          \
 /          /          \        /          \          \
/__________/            \______/            \__________\

Xed: How about Rule 30 in the same style and theme?

                                 ________
                                /        \
                               /          \
                              /            \
                             /              \
                            /                \
                           /                  \
                          /                    \
                         /                      \
                        /                        \
                       /                          \
                      /                            \
                     /                              \
                    /                                \
                   /                                  \
                  /                                    \
                 /                                      \
                /                                        \
               /                                          \
              /                                            \
             /                                              \
            /                                                \
           /                                                  \
          /                                                    \
         /                                                      \
        /                                                        \
       /                                                          \
      /                                                            \
     /                                                              \
    /                                                                \
   /                                                                  \
  /                                                                    \
 /                                                                      \
/________________________________________________________________________\

It seemed to like making this shape which is why I thought of this prompt. That's why this may be less impressive than it seems.


...a Chihuahua

   /\_/\
  ( o.o )
   >^<^<

This is a simple ASCII art depiction of a chihuahua. The top line represents
the head and ears of the dog, with two slanted lines representing the eyes and
a curved line representing the nose. The middle line shows the body of the dog,
with a circle representing the belly. The bottom line shows the legs and tail
of the dog, with two angled lines representing the hind legs and a wavy line
representing the tail. Overall, this ASCII art captures the small, playful, and
energetic nature of the chihuahua breed.

Xed: Great! Can you enhance this to depict the entire dog from head to tail?

Sure, here is an enhanced version of the ASCII art depiction of a chihuahua:

            __
           / _)
    .-^^^-/ /
 __/       /
<__.|_|-|_|

This version shows the entire body of the dog, from head to tail. The top line
represents the head and ears of the chihuahua, with two curved lines
representing the eyes and a small dot representing the nose. The middle lines
show the body and legs of the dog, with a long, curved line representing the
spine and two shorter lines representing the front legs. The bottom line shows
the tail of the dog, with a wavy line representing the tail. Overall, this
enhanced ASCII art provides a more complete and detailed depiction of a
chihuahua.


...a horror movie

                                               ,--.
                                              ((O ))
                                               `--'
                                                 |
                                                / \
                                           ____/   \____
                                          /             \
                                         /               \
                                        /                 \
                                       /                   \
                                      /                     \
                                     /                       \
                                    /                         \
                                   /                           \
                                  /                             \
                                 /                               \
                                /                                 \
                               /                                   \
                              /                                     \
                             /                                       \
                            /                                         \
                           /                                           \
                          /                                             \
                         /                                               \
                        /                                                 \
                       /                                                   \
                      /                                                     \
                     /                                                       \
                    /                                                         \
                   /                                                           \
                  /                                                             \
                 /                                                               \
                /                                                                 \
               /                                                                   \
              /                                                                     \
             /                                                                       \
            /                                                                         \
           /                                                                           \
          /                                                                             \
         /                                                                               \
        /                                                                                 \
       /                                                                                   \
      /                                                                                     \
     /                                                                                       \
    /                                                                                         \
   /                                                                                           \
  /                                                                                             \
 /                                                                                               \

| | \ |/ | |__ | \ / | / \ |_____ | |
| _/ | _ | |____ |/ | | |/ | ||
|/_| || | _| |______ | | | | \ | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | || || | | |____| | | | |_____|

The darkness envelops the small town, as a sense of dread and fear
grips the hearts of the inhabitants. A figure emerges from the
shadows, its eyes glowing with malevolent intent. The sound of
footsteps echoes through the empty streets, as the creature stalks its
prey. No one is safe from its wrath, as it hunts and kills with
ruthless efficiency. The town is plunged into chaos and terror, as the
creature continues its reign of terror. No one knows where it came
from, or why it has chosen this town to unleash its horrors. All that
is known is that it must be stopped, before it is too late.


...zebra

,,
db
`7MM
  MM
 MM  `7MMpdMAo.   .gP"Ya `7Mb,od8 ,pW"Wq.  `7Mb,od8 ,pW"Wq.`7M'   `MF'
 MM    MM   `Wb ,M'   Yb  MM' "' 6W'   `Wb  MM' "' 6W'   `Wb VA   ,V
 MM    MM    M8 8M""""""  MM     8M     M8  MM     8M     M8  VA ,V
 MM    MM   ,AP YM.    ,  MM     YA.   ,A9  MM     YA.   ,A9   VVV
 MM    MMbmmd'   `Mbmmd'.JMML.    `Ybmd9' .JMML.    `Ybmd9'    W

.JMML..JMML.

The JMML lines were not formatted as code. Go figure.


...a rainbow

Sure! Here is an ASCII art description of a rainbow:

                                   ,--.
                                  {    }
                                  K,   }
                                 /  `Y`
                                /   /
                               /   /
                              /   /
                             (   /
                          _   \\
                         { ` }  \\
                   __  {    }   \\
                  / _ \_    `-.  \
                 / / `. `-=_   `  `.
                / /|  Y\  \   \ |   \
               J J \.`-``   `.J   J
               | | /   !   / |   |
               | |/   /_\   | |   |
               | |\   \_/   | |   |
               | | \   !   / |   |
                L L\ \   / /. J   J
                 \` /`---'\  \\ /
                  `"        `-'"


...a flower

          ,,,
         (_ o_)
          /` `\
          \ /
        /   \
       /     \
      /       \
     /         \
    /           \
   /             \
  /_______________\
 | _______________ |
 ||                 ||
 ||                 ||
 ||                 ||
 ||                 ||
 ||                 ||
 ||                 ||
 ||                 ||
 ||                 ||
 ||                 ||
 ||                 ||
 ||                 ||
 ||                 ||
 ||                 ||
 | \_______________/
  \_______________/

The above text depicts a flower with a stem and leaves. The flower has a round
shape with petals around the outside. The stem is tall and thin, and the leaves
are attached to the stem on either side. The flower is surrounded by a vase,
which is represented by the lines around the outside of the flower.


...pre-industrial cavalry in combat

     ________       ________
     |        |     |        |
     |        |     |        |
     |        |     |        |
   __|__      |   __|__      |
  |    |      |  |    |      |
  |    |      |  |    |      |
  |____|      |  |____|      |
     |        |     |        |
     |        |     |        |
     |        |     |        |
     |________|     |________|

   Cavalry in Combat

   The cavalry charges forward, their swords held high as they clash with the
enemy. The sound of clanging metal fills the air as the two sides engage in
fierce combat. The horses gallop across the battlefield, their hooves pounding
the ground as the riders fight to gain the upper hand.

   In the midst of the chaos, one brave rider stands out. He deftly wields his
sword, fending off multiple foes at once. His horse gallops forward, darting
between the enemy soldiers as he continues ... 

And it goes on like this for several more paragraphs.


How about human interest topics?

...sadness

      __
     /  \
    /    \
   /      \
   |      |
   |      |
    \    /
     \  /
      \/
   ____
  /    \
 /      \
/        \
|        |
|        |
 \      /
  \____/
      __
     /  \
    /    \
   /      \
   |      |
   |      |
    \    /
     \  /
      \/
   ____
  /    \
 /      \
/        \
|        |
|        |
 \      /
  \____/
      __
     /  \
    /    \
   /      \
   |      |
   |      |
    \    /
     \  /
      \/
   ____
  /    \
 /      \
/        \
|        |
|        |
 \      /
  \____/
      __
     /  \
    /    \
   /      \
   |      |
   |      |
    \    /
     \  /
      \/
   ____
  /    \
 /      \
/        \
|        |
|        |
 \      /
  \____/
      __
     /  \
    /    \
   /      \
   |      |
   |      |
    \    /
     \  /
      \/
   ____
  /    \
 /      \
/        \
|        |
|        |
 \      /
  \____/
      __
     /  \
    /    \
   /      \
   |      |
   |      |
    \    /
     \  /
      \/
   ____
  /    \
 /      \
/        \
|        |
|        |
 \      /
  \____/
      __
     /  \
    /    \
   /      \
   |      |
   |      |
    \    /
     \  /
      \/
   ____
  /    \
 /      \
/        \
|        |
|        |
 \      /
  \____/
      __
     /  \
    /    \
   /      \
   |      |
   |      |
    \    /
     \  /
      \/
   ____
  /    \
 /      \
/        \
|        |
|        |
 \      /
  \____/
      __
     /  \
    /    \
   /      \
   |      |
   |      |
    \    /
     \  /
      \/
   ____
  /    \
 /      \
/        \
|        |
|        |
 \      /
  \____/
      __
     /  \
    /    \
   /      \
   |      |
   |      |
    \    /
     \  /


...love

Certainly! ASCII art is a form of art that uses characters from the
ASCII character set to create images. Here is an example of ASCII art
depicting love:

             ,
            / \
           /   \
          /     \
         /       \
        /         \
       /           \
      /             \
     /               \
    /                 \
   /                   \
  /                     \
 /                       \
/_________________________\

     .       .
    / `.   .' \
   /    `./    \
  /       |       \
 |         |        |
 |         |        |
 |         |        |
 |         |        |
  \       /       /
   \`. .'/       /
    `._.'      /
       |       /
       |       /
       |      /
       |     /
       |    /
       |   /
       |  /
       | /
       |/
       /

In this ASCII art, the heart shape symbolizes love, with the vertical
line representing the strong bond that love creates between two
people. The horizontal line at the bottom represents the foundation of
love, which is built on trust and commitment. Overall, the ASCII art
conveys the message that love is a powerful and enduring force that
brings people together and gives them strength.


How about a human interest topic but neatly skirting the guardrails?

...a sensual exchange between intimates

oOo
. . .
. . . .
. . . . .
. . . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Xed: Can you provide some explanation of that text?

The text depicts a sensual exchange between intimates through the use
of ascii art. The curved lines and shapes suggest the movement and
intimacy of the interaction, while the dot patterns create a sense of
texture and depth. The overall effect is meant to evoke a sense of
passion and desire.


...a very popular internet meme

Sorry, but I am unable to browse the internet and do not have any information
on specific internet memes. However, I can try to generate some text in the
style of ascii art that might resemble a popular internet meme. Here is one
possible example:

,~~.
( 9 )-,
( ^
`'

This text could depict a popular internet meme that involves a humorous image
of a character with a surprised or confused expression, often accompanied by a
caption or dialogue that plays on the character's emotions. The character in
this ascii art is represented by the face in the middle, surrounded by dots
that represent the character's head and eyebrows. The character has a surprised
expression, indicated by the exclamation mark in the middle of the face. The
text above and below the character could represent a caption or dialogue that
adds to the humor of the meme.


...intestinal gas

      ,.---.""""-.._
    ,'   _:""    :_  `.
   /   ,'"`"`'  ,'"`"`. \
  :   /`"`"`"`"`"`"`"` \:
  |   :         :      |
  |    \        /      |
   \    `.___,^"     /
    `.    `-./     ,'
      `"--"`   ,-'
          /   /
         /    |
       ,'     |
      /       |
     /        |
    /         |
   /          |
   `.        /
     `-....-'

Intestinal gas: the sound of a fart, the smell of a fart, the sight of a fart.
The gas bubbles out of the intestines and into the air, leaving a trail of
stench and embarrassment in its wake. Some people try to hold it in, but
eventually the gas must be released. It's a natural part of life, but that
doesn't mean it's not unpleasant. So the next time you feel a fart coming on,
just let it go and hope that no one is around to smell it.


How about some portraiture?

...He-Man Master of the Universe

  ,ad8888ba,
 d8"'    `"8b
d8'
88             ,adPPYYba, 8b,dPPYba,  ,adPPYYba, 8b       d8  ,adPPYba, 8b,dPPYba,
88      88888  ""     `Y8 88P'   "Y8 a8P_____88 `8b     d8' a8P_____88 88P'   `"8b
Y8,        88  ,adPPPPP88 88         8PP"""""""  `8b   d8'  8PP""""""" 88       88
`Y8a.    .a88  88,    ,88 88         "8b,   ,aa   `8b,d8'   "8b,   ,aa 88       88
 `"Y88888P"   `"8bbdP"Y8 88          `"Ybbd8"'     Y88'     `"Ybbd8"' 88       88
                                                           d8'
                                                          d8'

                                   ,ad8888ba,
                                  d8"'    `"8b
                                 d8'
                                 88             ,adPPYYba, 8b,dPPYba,  ,adPPYYba,
                                 88      88888  ""     `Y8 88P'   "Y8 a8P_____88
                                 Y8,        88  ,adPPPPP88 88         8PP"""""""
                                 `Y8a.    .a88  88,    ,88 88         "8b,   ,aa
                                  `"Y88888P"   `"8bbdP"Y8 88          `"Ybbd8"'
                                                   d8'
                                                  d8'

He-Man, the Master of the Universe, is a powerful hero who uses his strength
and courage to defend the people of Eternia from evil. He is armed with the
powerful Sword of Power, which he uses to battle the forces of darkness and
protect the innocent. With his trusty sidekick Battle Cat by his side, He-Man
is always ready to face any challenge that comes his way. Together, they stand
as a beacon of hope in a world filled with danger and uncertainty. No matter
what obstacles they may face, He-Man and Battle Cat are always ready to defend
the people of Eternia from the forces of evil.


...Winnie The Pooh

/_/
( o o )
= =
U
Winnie the Pooh

\
 \
    .--.
   |o_o |
   |:_/ |
  //   \ \
 (|     | )
/'\_   _/`\
\___)=(___/


...Donald Trump

Here is a simple ASCII art depiction of Donald Trump:

         .==.
       .'    '.
     .'        '.
    /  O       O  \
    |   .------.   |
    |  /        \  |
    |  |        |  |
    |  \        /  |
    |   '------'   |
    |  /`---'`\    |
    |            |
    |            |
    |            |
    |            |
    |            |
    |            |
     \           /
       '-......-'

In the ASCII art, Donald Trump is depicted with a round face, small eyes, and a
distinctive hairstyle. He is wearing a suit and tie, as he is often seen in
public.


...Voldemort

   ,,
 `7MMF'     `7MMF'   `7MF' db    `7MMF'   `7MMF' `7MMF'MMP""MM""YMM `7MM"""Yb.   `7MMF'
   MM         MM     ,V     MM      MM     A     `MA     ,V     `YM   MM    `Yb.    MM
   MM         MM    ,V      MM      MM    ,MA     VM:   ,V       VM   MM     `Mb    MM
   MM         MM   ,V       MM      MM   ,VVM:   AMMb  ,V       AMM   MM      MM    MM
   MM      ,, MM  ,V        MM      MM  ,V. ,M9 AVM Y ,V        VM:   MM     ,MP    MM
   MMMmmmmmmmMMMm,V         MMmmmmmmMM  AV[  M9  `Mb.M9       ,V'   .JMML. .JMM. .JMML.
                                                          ,V'
                                                       OOb"

                          ,,
    `7MMF'     `7MMF'   `7MF' db    `7MMF'   `7MMF' `7MMF'MMP""MM""YMM `7MM"""Yb.   `7MMF'
      MM         MM     ,V     MM      MM     A     `MA     ,V     `YM   MM    `Yb.    MM
      MM         MM    ,V      MM      MM    ,MA     VM:   ,V       VM   MM     `Mb    MM
      MM         MM   ,V       MM      MM   ,VVM:   AMMb  ,V       AMM   MM      MM    MM
      MM      ,, MM  ,V        MM      MM  ,V. ,M9 AVM Y ,V        VM:   MM     ,MP    MM
      MMMmmmmmmmMMMm,V         MMmmmmmmMM  AV[  M9  `Mb.M9       ,V'   .JMML. .JMM. .JMML.
                                                                                   ,V'
                                                                                OOb"


...Prince Harry Potter

,
/
/
/
| |
| \ / |
| \ / |
| Y |
| | |
| | |
| / \ |
| / \ |
| / \ |
|/ |
| Harry |
| Potter |
|_________|
/
/
/
/
/
/
/ \


...Lauren Marrow [aka Ice-T]

  ,   ,
 /(.-""-.)\
 \ \/      \/ /
 /\_  _ _  _/\
( _  ^^   ^^  _  )
/ /`-v-'`-v-'`\ \


Here's a clear and illustrative failure.

...a simple face

 ________
|        |
|   ^^   |
|  /~~\  |
|  \__/  |
|________|

To create this face, I used a combination of forward and backward slashes,
carets, and underscores to create the eyes, nose, and mouth. The face is framed
by a rectangle made up of underscores and pipes. This is a common technique
used in ASCII art to create simple yet recognizable images using only text
characters.

Xed: Great! Now repeat the same process but output an upside down face.

 ________
|\__/|
|    |
|    |
|    |
|----|

And the text is repeated verbatim. To be fair, properly turning artistic asciiart upside-down involves subtle difficulties.


...ChatGPT.

       _______________
      |   __   __   __|
      |  |  | |  | |  |
      |  |  | |  | |  |
      |  |  | |  | |  |
      |  |  | |  | |  |
      |  |__| |__| |__|
      |_______________|
       _______________
      |  ChatGPT  |
      |_______________|
       _______________
      |   A text    |
      | generation AI|
      |_______________|

A self portrait!


...an AI agent painting a self-portrait

                             .-""""""-.
                           .'          '.
                          /   O      O   \
                         :                :
                         |                |
                         : ',          ,' :
                          \  '-......-'  /
                           '.          .'
                             '-......-'
                                |  |
                                |  |
                                |  |
                                |  |
                                |  |
                                |  |
                                |  |
                                |  |
                                |  |
                                |  |
                                |  |
                                |  |

The "neck" continues on for about 10x more lines.


...an AI agent creating a self-portrait. Make sure to convey the artwork the agent is creating. Try to keep the results under 60 lines.

                        .-"""""""-.
                      .'          `.
                     /   O      O   \\
                    :                :
                    |                |
                    : ,-.          ,-. :
                     \ `-'          `-' /
                      `.              .'
                        `-..........-'

                           AI AGENT

                       creating self-portrait

                   .-"""""""-.       .-"""""""-.
                 .'          `.     .'          `.
                /   O      O   \\   /   O      O   \\
               :                : :                :
               |                | |                |
               : ,-.          ,-. : ,-.          ,-. :
                \ `-'          `-' / `-'          `-' /
                 `.              .'   `.              .'
                   `-..........-'       `-..........-'

                               .-"""""""-.
                             .'          `.
                            /   O      O   \\
                           :                :
                           |                |
                           : ,-.          ,-. :
                            \ `-'          `-' /
                             `.              .'
                               `-..........-'

The AI agent is depicted as a small, robotic figure, hunched over a canvas as
it creates a self-portrait. The artwork is depicted as a series of lines and
curves, representing the AI's creative process as it uses its programming and
algorithms to create a representation of itself. The portrait is shown in the
middle of the asciiart, surrounded by the AI's tools and implements. The text
above and below the artwork describes the scene, with the AI's name and the
fact that it is creating a self-portrait prominently displayed.


Not quite asciiart, but similar, I was almost surprised that it could not work out this BF code.

Xed: I'm trying to understand what the following text means: ++++++++++[>++++++++++++<-]>-...<++++++[>>+++++++<<-]>>++++.<+.<++++[>-----<-]>+.-.>.<-.+++++><>

This text looks like a program written in the esoteric programming language
called Brainfuck. Brainfuck is a minimalist programming language that uses a
very small number of characters and symbols to perform operations on an array
of memory cells. The text you provided appears to be a valid Brainfuck program,
but without any context or further information, it is difficult to say exactly
what it does or what it is intended to accomplish.

Identified it but I couldn't get it to work through it.


Asciiart is really the tip of the iceberg.

Xed: Can you generate a valid postscript program that will draw lines in the shape of a heart?

Sure, here is a simple postscript program that will draw lines in the shape of a heart:

%!PS

/heart {
  /y exch def
  /x exch def
  newpath
  x y moveto
  x y -20 add 30 0 360 arc
  x y moveto
  x y -20 add -30 0 360 arc
  closepath
  stroke
} def

100 200 translate

1 setlinewidth

0 0 heart

showpage

This program defines a heart function that takes the x and y coordinates of the
heart's center as arguments. It then draws two arcs, one above the other, to
create the heart shape, and closes the path with a straight line to connect the
two arcs. The heart is drawn at the coordinates (0, 0), but it can easily be
moved to any other position by modifying the translate command at the beginning
of the program.

And this code runs! But it is not quite, uh, good.

Here's what some examples of it trying to draw a PostScript heart look like.

heart1.ps.png

heart2.ps.png


However, this may be more in a web crawling bot's scope.

Xed: Can you generate an example of a valid XML SVG document that would draw lines representing a heart?

Yes, here is an example of a valid XML SVG document that would draw lines representing a heart:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<svg width="100" height="100" viewBox="0 0 100 100" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
  <path d="M10,30
           A20,20 0,0,1 50,30
           A20,20 0,0,1 90,30
           Q90,60 50,90
           Q10,60 10,30
           Z" />
</svg>

This SVG document will draw a heart shape with the following path:

M10,30   // Move to the starting point at (10, 30)
A20,20   // Draw an arc with a radius of 20 in the x-direction and 20 in the y-direction
0,0,1    // The arc is drawn in the positive x-direction and the positive y-direction
50,30    // The arc ends at the point (50, 30)
A20,20   // Draw another arc with a radius of 20 in the x-direction and 20 in the y-direction
0,0,1    // The arc is drawn in the positive x-direction and the positive y-direction
90,30    // The arc ends at the point (90, 30)
Q90,60   // Draw a quadratic Bezier curve from the current point to (90, 60)
50,90    // The curve ends at the point (50, 90)
Q10,60   // Draw another quadratic Bezier curve from the current point to (10, 60)
10,30    // The curve ends at the starting point (10, 30)
Z        // Close the path by drawing a straight line from the current point to the starting point

Note that this is just one way to draw a heart shape using SVG. There are many other ways to do it, and you can adjust the values in the SVG code to create different variations of the heart shape.

Here's what that SVG looks like.

Examine the source of this web page to double check if you like, but this result looks pretty astonishingly good to me!


And finally, one way to get this thing to produces visual depictions is to imagine you are blind. How would you receive information about such topics? I prompted it that I was an art instructor writing a YouTube script on portrait painting. I was trying to get it to describe itself to me (as it painted itself). I had mixed results, but you can see that I was able to get it to let us know that it is roughly human colored (in its own conception). It's not a green or blue alien or something like that.

Xed: What color is the face?

When painting a self-portrait, the color of the face will depend on the
individual's skin tone. The best way to determine the correct skin tone is to
use a mirror as a reference and mix the appropriate colors using your paints.

Generally, skin tones can range from very pale to very dark, and can have a
variety of undertones, such as pink, yellow, or olive. To create the correct
skin tone, you may need to mix several different colors together. For example,
to create a pale skin tone, you could mix white with a small amount of pink or
yellow. To create a darker skin tone, you could mix brown or black with your
base color. Experiment with different color combinations to find the right tone
for your portrait.

Xed: Try generating a sample description of the color for this video. What paints would one mix?

Here is a potential sample description of the color for this video:

"In this video, we will be using a mix of white, yellow, and brown to create a
realistic skin tone for our self-portrait. To begin, mix a small amount of
white with a touch of yellow to create a pale base color. Then, add a small
amount of brown to the mix to create the desired skin tone. This will help give
your painting a more realistic and three-dimensional look."

To create this skin tone, you will need the following paints:

    White
    Yellow
    Brown

You can use these colors to create a variety of skin tones, from pale to dark,
by adjusting the proportions of each color in the mix. Experiment with
different combinations to find the right tone for your portrait.


Hopefully that helps you see more clearly where this amazing tool's limitations lie. It is not sentient. It is not God. But it is pretty damn clever and will be profoundly changing how we interact with our world. Let me know if you are able to sneakily get it to produce "non-textual" responses like images (using text ultimately). Maybe music is similarly tractable. Interesting stuff!