A short break from writing

Life’s peaceful at Hervey Bay. The weather is warming and we’re at that stage where we’d like some rain, please. Not like earlier in the year when the remains of a cyclone dumped hundreds of millimetres upon the town. Just – I dunno. 25mm?

The garden is enjoying the sunshine. We have walking iris, which unfortunately only last for a day, hippeastrums in a variety of colours, Christmas lilies, desert roses, and gerberas. And we’ve gone walking on the beach, which is good for us. Vitamin D, bracing sea air, the gentle susurrus of the waves, and several sightings of our local raptors.

Back at home I’m busy reviving my writing career, helped by ChatGPT. No it doesn’t write my books but it’s very good at Photoshop. I don’t make enough from sales (at the moment) to justify hiring a cover artist to create my book covers and I’ll be the first to admit that my home made covers could be quite ordinary. But with coaching from Chat, I can do a much better job. Here are a couple made by me. Find out about the books here.

AI and AI art has come a long way in a very short time. Here are a few comparisons comparing recent results from those done in 2022.

Kangaroos

Lorikeets

To be very clear about this, AI does not plagiarize. Ask it to produce a painting that looks like Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, it will have a go.

I just did that with this prompt: A painting like Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, using his style. This is what it offered.

Sure the AI used Rembrandt’s style. It learned how to do that in much the same way Rembrandt’s own students did. That’s how everybody learns. Even machines. Yes, it would be nice to be paid when an AI is taught using (say) my books. But an AI will not copy my work and stick somebody else’s name on it. People do that.

Now if your REALLY want to see what AI can do – check this out. You just upload a flat photo (this was from a book cover) and tell it to do something.

Here’s the book cover

And here’s what Grok did.

I’d better get back to it. Catch you next time.