Google DeepDream robot: 10 weirdest images produced by AI 'inceptionism' and users online

On 23 June, Google's software engineers revealed the results of an "inceptionism" experiment that looked at how computers think, understand and identify objects, animals and people in images.

After being fed millions of pictures, the image recognition software created by Google enabled artificial neural network of computers to see shapes in images, creating strange, fantastic and psychedelic images that at times could be likened to impressionist art.

Such a great deal of interest was generated from the AI research published and the images generated that Google decided to release the code for its inceptionism algorithm to the public.

The source code has to be hosted on a website, and some software developers have generously hosted it, such as Psychic VR Lab and Deep Neural Net Dreams, meaning anyone can now upload a picture to these websites and run it through the algorithm to create beautiful or weird images.

How it works

Google's artificially intelligent neural network consists of between 10 to 30 stacked layers of artificial neurons. Each layer looks at the image and detects different aspects, such as a corner or a shape, conveying information to the next layer, until the final layer formulates an answer.

Sometimes, the network interprets shapes and decides to interpret innocuous images like clouds or faces as animals.

This creates unusual effects layered over the image, such as lots of creepy eyes looking out at the viewers, fantastic dog heads merged into objects and animals, and stunning textures.

Here are some of the best and oddest examples we have found floating around the internet that users have created (including the main image at the top):

Andrew Jackson, who graces the $20 bill, becomes a multi-eyed monster in this image uploaded to Twitter by Brad Skaggs.

"Don't eat before bed," writes Thorne Brandt on Twitter about a plate of of spaghetti and meatballs that comes out of Google DeepDream with a multitude of eyes, dog heads and reptile faces added.

Former US vice-president Dick Cheney does not look happy to see you, as this rather disturbing image uploaded by Twitter user @samim shows.

Twitter user Vilson Vieira has taken The Garden Of Earthly Delights by 15th century Early Netherlandish painter Hieronymus Bosch, a key example of surrealism art, and made it even more fantastical with help from Google DeepDream.

This very strange looking image is called the Puppyslug Nebula. Uploaded by Devine Lu Linvega, it is the outcome of what happens when a Hubble Telescope image receives the Google DeepDream treatment.

This bizarre image is actually the renowned British graphic novelist Alan Moore, who has long hair and a beard. It was uploaded by multimedia artist Eric Drass of Shardcore.org.

Software developer Duncan Nicoll took a half-eaten donut and put it through Google DeepDream. What he got was the candy sprinkles doughnut slug of your nightmares.

This barely recognisable image is actually a film still showing Tom Hardy in summer blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road, uploaded by Twitter user @GoddoSukoupion.

Cutesy Japanese schoolgirl idol anime cartoon series Love Live! takes on a sinister tone after being modified by Google DeepDream in this photo uploaded by Twitter user @One_30_One.