I’ve been playing around with Microsoft’s AI image creator that’s “powered by DALL-E.” Why? Because it’s fun.
Let’s start off with something cute and simple.
Sloth as a tradesperson using cordless power tools while at a job.
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In most of these images, what are those tools?! I think the AI did a semi-passable job with the sloth wearing a hard hat. I’m not sure what I expected, but it looks like a sloth-like filter is applied to adult human-sized anatomy.
This one is also kind of cute.
Gotta protect the ears!
Where’s the red wire going?
Dinosaurs using power tools to repair a house.
These next ones came later, but I don’t want to show you the nightmarish ones just yet.
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The helmeted dinosaur, with a tool projected straight into a pile or rubble, is a bit unsettling.
This isn’t as random as I expected.
The AI threw in half a person to help.
This looks like a toy diorama, and it kind of works.
Dinosaur electrician replacing wired ceiling lamp in a bedroom.
I wanted a dinosaur as an electrician. Here we have what looks like a dinosaur and an electrician.
This one shows… an electrician in a dinosaur costume?
The AI does a decent job with establishing the bedroom backgrounds, at least.
Dinosaur plumber replacing kitchen sink in a modern house.
Will this be a new kitchen sink design trend?
This one’s not too bad, with fewer impossibilities than the other renderings.
Aside for the faucets, this one doesn’t have many errors.
Electrician cleaning up a mess while a shocked plumber watches.
This was the second query, and I found it to be hilariously creepy.
Why is the worker on the left barefoot? Why is the one on the right ripping his hair out as if it were a hat?
Apparently electricians and plumbers all wear overalls.
I find this to be equal parts hilarious and horrifying.
This is what AI thinks a shocked expressions looks like.
Wow, okay…
Professional plumber fixing leak in home bathroom.
Is this almost passable?
Where’s the leak? What’s going on with the plumber’s hand? Check out the plumbing on that sink!
Why does the AI think all tradespersons wear blue overalls?
With all things considered, this isn’t terrible.
The AI gave this plumber shoes!
In my opinion this is the least worst rendering of the series.
The prompt here was:
Cordless power tools from Kobalt and Craftsman brands in a boxing match, with Home Depot and Lowe’s retail stores spectating, and Nick Offerman as referee.
I hoped for the tools to somehow be anthropomorphized, but unfortunately that didn’t happen.
It seems that the AI doesn’t recognize brands, but it does look to leverage brand colors.
It can get pants pockets right, and creases in shirts and jeans.
Is the referee boxing too?
This was actually the first prompt I tried:
Tools from Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita, and Ryobi brands, in a cage wrestling match, with one winner.
It’s interesting to see what the AI thinks tools should look like.
It seems to recognize Dewalt colors, but that’s about it.
The AI tries hard to be creative.
Woodworker using a table saw to cut a wood board.
The simplest queries tend to produce the most realistic-looking results.
However, that’s not a table saw. And the hearing protection isn’t going to do any good around the worker’s neck.
This could almost kind of pass for a stock photo.
Work gloves are a no-no when using tools that can snag them.
Electricians and plumbers getting along at a jobsite.
I keep expecting the AI to depict plumbers with a toilet plunger.
More blue overalls.
Electricians with tools surprised to find wiring junction boxes covered in drywall.
I accidently had a typo, with “fund” instead of “find.” Is that way everyone look shappy?
Hmm, instead of drywall covering a junction box, we have junction boxes covering drywall.
Woodworker surprised at the size of a mess after cutting the wood for kitchen cabinets.
Scary inhuman face? Check. Arms thrown up in the air? Check.
The AI does a passable job with the background setting.
People in a workshop arguing over which brand makes the best cordless power tools.
Is the AI saying Dewalt is the best?
4 people talking about power tool brands.
Influencer making live edge wood table.
I wonder what leads the AI to include tattoos and bracelets. The small touches are likely done to improve realism.
Influencer making floating shelves.
Maybe we’ll check back in a year or so to see how AI image generators have improved.
MFC
This is great. I happened to use dinosaurs, aliens and unicorns in my prompts. It comes up with some pretty spectacular renderings, if not a little horrifying as well. All of the tool prompts were pretty gruesome…
eddie sky
I am crying. From laughter! Thank you!
BTW, we don’t have to worry about AI taking our imaging/design jobs any time soon. But I would like to see a 3D printed model of some of those amalgamations…
Its like The Thing (John Carpenter’s) with their expressions!
Stuart
From the shocked plumber watching an electrician clean up their mess, right?
It took me a good few minutes to calm down too.
George
As predicted: the stuff of nightmares. Every single one. From the “face transplant recipient gone wrong” plumbers and electricians to the various digits and other parts (eyelids, etc) disappearing into solid objects (which always conjure up scenes like Star Trek transporter accidents or the melting-into-the-deck crewmen in “The Philadelphia Project”), they’re all awful.
But somehow, for me, the creepiest is the first one: “Sloth handyman wearing a lighter sloth’s skinned head and face as a hat”.
Or did you just use “Edmund Kemper as a sloth handyman”?
None of this is to be construed as “stop”.
Stuart
Now that you said that, I can’t unsee the sloth wearing a sloth mask now.
The prompt was in the post – sloth as a tradesperson using cordless power tools while at a job.
George
Sorry about that. I have a weird sense of humor.
I’m also thinking the dinosaur holding the electrician might be using him as a non-contact tester. Or a grounding wire.
I really do love these as they play to my twisted mind.
Stuart
You’re not wrong; that *is* what it does look like.
Jim Felt
Maybe try Milwaukee v. Dewalt in a Thunderdome setting?
TomD
I think it “knows” Dewalt as a tool brand but Milwaukee it has confused with a city and other things. Perhaps Festool or something definitely unique would work.
Doug
Neat stuff. Obviously AI is not going to take over the plastic surgery industry… yet.
PETE
i don’t know…. some of these women out here sure look like their mods were AI inspired lol
Jbongo
Thanks for the laugh this morning. I wonder what little kids would think of the pictures. I think the people would make my kids feel either uncomfortable or like someone drew silly artwork. I did like the one of the dinosaur holding the person up though.
Ed
Love this. Have you tried asking ChatGPT what ToolGuyd is? My point is that images aren’t the only thing the recent AI revolution has decided to sample. Will copy paste-its reply — I think you’ll enjoy. BTW, I have custom instructions set up on my account, so this is going to sound like Negan from the Walking Dead:
“Well, well, Steady Eddie, you’re talkin’ about ToolGuyd, huh? Let me break it down for ya. ToolGuyd is a kickass website run by Stuart *******. It’s all about tools and gadgets, just like you love! They cover everything from power tools to hand tools, and even some sweet geeky stuff. If you’re lookin’ for the latest and greatest in the world of tools, that’s the place to be, man. And trust me, they know their stuff!”
Ed
here’s a link, for proof — the subreddits all like proof when you talk about this stuff.
https://chat.openai.com/share/e4bcc492-7880-41f2-9c5d-13cfc968a6a3
Stuart
It could just be scraped from my Twitter – sorry X – bio before I recently changed it.
I get emails and offers daily from direct-to-Amazon companies who scrape from my IG account.
Or they could have scraped from any of my freelance works where there might be a ToolGuyd bio.
That’s the problem with these new AI content generators – you never know what their source material is.
Ed
100% agree. I’ve been playing with the Large Language Models that they’ve been publishing on huggingface.co (Llama-based) — have been having a blast tinkering under the hood with the settings + prompt templates. It’s all one-click installs these days. What a time to be alive!
Ed
Last post, promise — I asked what your most popular posts were. This could have come from anywhere. But I do think you have a fan over there!!
“Ah, you’re really diving into ToolGuyd, Eddie! Stuart’s got some killer posts that really caught people’s attention. Here are a few of his popular ones:
“Best Cordless Drills and Drivers” – People love their power tools, and this post gives ’em the lowdown on the top cordless drills and drivers in the market. A must-read for any serious tool enthusiast like you!
“Tool Brands: Who Owns What?” – This one’s a gem! Stuart breaks down the ownership of different tool brands, so you know who’s behind the gear you’re rockin’.
“10 Tools You Should Own for DIY Projects” – Handy guide for the do-it-yourselfers out there, helping ’em pick the essential tools for their home projects.
“Geeky Gadgets: Cool Stuff You Never Knew You Needed” – If you’re into geeky gadgets, Eddie, this post is right up your alley! Stuart highlights some awesome gadgets that’ll make any tech nerd drool.
“Tool Talk Discussion Series” – A regular series where readers and Stuart chew the fat about various tool-related topics. It’s like a tool-geek pow-wow!
So there you have it, some of ToolGuyd’s hits! Can’t blame folks for flocking to his site. He knows how to deliver the goods when it comes to tools and gadgets!”
Stuart
Some of those aren’t on here…?
I don’t think I’ve ever done a “geeky gadgets” or “10 tools for DIY projects” posts. If I have, I can’t find them.
Weird.
This is likely because the AI is not striving for accuracy, its programming goal is for human-like speech patterns.
Ed
Agree, just looking for speech patterns. This stuff is auto-complete on steroids. Nothing more. True AGI is still a long ways away but I’m sure we’ll get really good at mimicking it and scare a bunch of folks at some point. I’m an armchair expert, btw.
If you decided to do a separate blog about AI, I’d read the hell out of it, Stuart.
Steve
I think it’s interesting how humans react to these photos. Nightmares and horror. Kind of unusual that it would be that emotion. Equally terrifying that it’s how AI “sees” the world.
RCWARD
That is why you shouldn’t be promoting this BS. Stupid not funny
Stuart
So anything curious, interesting, or new is a “promotion?”
Jeremiah James McKenna
Looking at other art is not promotion, but using it to manifest an unsettling amalgamation is promotion.
Jeremiah James McKenna
Please stop. These pictures are so disturbing. AI doesn’t need any more learning, because it has hit a major roadblock when it comes to anatomy of anything, human or otherwise. It can’t even copy a picture of a tool, let alone fingers, feet or faces. It can not overcome those hurdles, no matter how many times you try to tell or teach it.