Mehul Reuben DasDec 21, 2022 16:14:37 IST
Imagine being able to travel back in time and take a selfie at the cusp of some of the most important moments in time, which changed the course of human history forever. How about a selfie with the slaves who built the pyramids at Giza? Or, how about one with Christopher Columbus and his crew, on their voyage trying to get to India?
Well, a Twitter user has been doing just that, and thanks to the powers of AI, has been taking or rather creating selfies by travelling back in time.
📳Log #6 – Ice Age chase.
I know…
I had to blur some important and historical data.
You’ll be happy to know they are safe and sound.
Coming back#stelfie #timetravel @GodHatesNFTees 801 #iceage #chase pic.twitter.com/Gr8Td9lius— Stelfie the Time Traveller (@StelfieTT) December 12, 2022
A Twitter user known as ‘Stelfie the Time Traveller’ has been making a time-hopping travelogue using generative AI, specifically, Stable Diffusion and fine-tuning the result. The user, who’s an anonymous artist has created a fictional photorealistic character that he can insert into faux historical photographs set in different eras.
📳Log #8 : a lucky landing
Do not fooking make a sound.
Thanks#Stelfie #Timetravel #StableDiffusion #NFTCommunity pic.twitter.com/eGca22ZFXj— Stelfie the Time Traveller (@StelfieTT) December 17, 2022
For those who are unaware, Stable Diffusion is a deep learning image synthesis model that allows people to create fictional scenes using text descriptions called prompts. With an additional technique called Dreambooth, people can insert their own subject or character into scenes generated by Stable Diffusion.
📳Log #5 – Leonardo da Vinci, 1507.
…Right, how do I tell you this?
Have you ever noticed that the version of the Monalisa you have in your present has something familiar?
Well, you’re welcome.#stelfie #timetravel @GodHatesNFTees 801 #monalisa #Gioconda pic.twitter.com/JjW292OQqg— Stelfie the Time Traveller (@StelfieTT) December 11, 2022
‘Stelfie’ or how the artist wants to be known, also posts most of his work on Reddit, where he explained how he goes about, ‘travelling in time.’ He uses a combination of Stable Diffusion 1.5, a custom AI model for the landscape, and a custom AI model trained on the Stelfie face.
📳Log #3 – Columbus ship, 1492 DC.
“Laaaaand”
Now, I don’t wanna brag but…
After months of sailing Columbus was lost in the Oceans and well let’s say I may have kinda suggested the correct direction…#timetravel @GodHatesNFTees 801 #Columbus #America pic.twitter.com/kxKbDGL87H— Stelfie the Time Traveller (@StelfieTT) December 8, 2022
The face, in turn is apparently a fictional person created using Character Creator. He uses a lot of inpainting, which basically means inserting AI-generated imagery into the images to fix errors and sculpt the scene. Stelfie says, that it takes him about three hours to ‘take each selfie’.
📳Log #9 : Mars, year 2022.
My fav journey.
I colonized Mars with my camping tent so @elonmusk doesn’t have to.
Feeling lonely? Join me.#Stelfie #Timetravel #StableDiffusion #Ai #NFTCommunity #ElonMusk #parody pic.twitter.com/1OmAIlwOjW— Stelfie the Time Traveller (@StelfieTT) December 19, 2022
📳Log #4 – Ulysses and the Trojan horse
So, it is getting a bit messy. I told them I was a messenger of the Gods.
I know, I know…
Also, I was chit chatting with Ulysses and…#stelfie #timetravel @GodHatesNFTees 801 #Greece #troy pic.twitter.com/TsotHAK7QG— Stelfie the Time Traveller (@StelfieTT) December 9, 2022
So far, Stelfie has travelled back in time to take photos with Columbus and his crew, with the slaves in Egypt while they were building the pyramids at Giza, ridden and fought with Ulysses and other greeks who were inside the Trojan Horse during the siege of Troy and many other points in time. Not just that he has also colonised Mars in the future, and fought off dinosaurs in the past.
Stelfie plans on selling these images as NFTs. While people may be a little put off by that, one cannot deny, that these are a novel way to keep yourself entertained.