Nickelodeon slime videos are now gothic fantasy art, thanks to artificial intelligence. In a playlist called “Necrolodeon,” YouTuber Wizardhead uses AI to transform videos of children’s television in the ’90s. It is some Guillermo del Toro body horror nightmare fuel, if you’re into that sort of thing. While creepy, it is undoubtedly art. Made possible though machine learning technology.
We saw the video on Boing Boing, so thanks to them. I guess? The Wizardhead YouTube channel includes a few more similar videos, including one of the Teletubbies. So in case a baby’s face inside the sun or other such atrocities from the regular show weren’t enough, you can watch them morph and melt. And be all covered in eyes.
A project involving another ’90s childhood staple, Barney the dinosaur, is underway. As Wizardhead mentions, he’s already a “purple abomination” before AI even gets involved. Fans suggest many more mashups of TV shows they want to see made horrifying in the comments section.
What would SpongeBob SquarePants look like under this lens? Could Patrick’s pureness still shine through? Or is a walking, talking sea star with eyebrows already horrifying? Another suggestion is to apply the machine learning program to Gordon Ramsey videos. Considering the haunting audio from the others he’s made, this one could be truly terrifying.
The artist uses PyTTI, machine learning technology designed specifically with making art in mind. It’s clear he has learned the open-source algorithm well, with a lot of potential for unexpected visuals. While some researchers are making slime to assist in medical procedures, Wizardhead is making slime into art. My reaction is the same: Thanks. I hate it. But also, don’t stop.
Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.