This AI app makes it easy for ordinary people to create artworks

Over the past decade, AI has been scrambling to try to change reality. We already have computer vision-driven 3D perspective paintings, trendsetting style shifts, viral realistic selfie tweaks, selfie retouchings, face changes, and of course deep forgeries and tons of frivolous (and funny) selfie filters.

AI-driven visual remixing has shown time and time again that it can grab attention. Although once the novelty of ai-generated effects disappears, it becomes harder to keep the "gaze" alive. Now, the focus of developers is beginning to shift to the creativity and productization of neural networks and GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks), a game-changer. That is, machine learning frameworks, when modifying, reshaping, or generating models, are inspired by human cues.

Wombo, a Canadian startup that previously caught the eye with its EPD lip-sync app, recently launched another app called Dream (available for iOS and Android) that uses AI to create original "works of art" based on text cues. It's super easy to use. You just have to describe what you want it to draw, like "a terrible tree" or "the worst sandwich in history", pick a style from the options offered (mystery, baroque, fantasy art, steampunk, etc.) or select "No style"; then click create.

Then, within ten seconds, the app will show you the finished "artwork." In the process of creating in these ten seconds, you won't even get bored because you can see the AI working process. The app shows the rapid evolution of modeling, from initial markers, to fleshing out the canvas with some non-artificial quick additions, and then to finally completing the creation of the artwork. Some of these resulting artworks look a bit impressive. Some are different, so you can continue to ask for new images from the same cue until you create a piece you like.

Once a new artwork appears, the app loses no time in trying to sell it, popping up a "buy print" option that links to its online store and looks like a clever way to turn visual skills into actual income. It offers a "Custom Wombo Dream Print" service that starts at $20 for matte posters and $45 for framed prints. If the startup can turn a dozen seconds of processing into more than $20 in revenue, that could be a decent revenue pipeline. By the end of last month, users had generated more than 10 million images. Its Android version, about a month after its launch on Google Play, has already had more than 1 million downloads.