Google AI turns all 10,000 BAYC NFTs into machine-made art

by · August 28, 2022

Google Cloud Neural Networks worked with its artificial intelligence (AI) software to create art. Not just any art – non-fungible token (NFT) art.

AI transformed all 10,000 Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs into machine-made works of art. These works of art take the form of abstract paintings. But on closer inspection, the paintings look like monkey shapes similar to the famous Yuga Labs collection.

Dubbed the Artsy Monke, the project combined the BAYC monkey aspiration and the artistic, fine art aspect of the final product. According to an official statement, Artsy Monke used years of AI advancements along with image diffusion techniques. All images were created through Google’s collaborative Notebook service Colab in combination with cloud computing.

Google’s AI can recreate these NFTs through text description and not just from reference images. For these pieces, the BAYC NFTs were given to the AI ​​as “a loose canvas to frame the generative art,” said CryptoGrims, the resident AI artist.

CryptoGrims called the initial response thought-provoking, tweeting: “This is what happens when #technology meets #art.”

The artist said that after the initial feed of the canvas, they had to teach the AI ​​how to paint in “the twenty different art styles we had on the list and then run multiple servers for weeks to get the results we wanted.”

While some of the images can easily be paired with original BAYC images, the intricacy of these Artsy Monke creations is unmatched.

Some of the Artsy Monke pieces have entire micro-worlds digitally painted into the vague outline of a monkey, while others are simply monkey-shaped jumbled collages of futuristic elements.

In contrast to the typically high price tags of BAYC NFTs, this collection of 10,000 pieces started at just 0.001 ETH, which at the time of sale was equivalent to $1.40. However, the collection sold out shortly after being listed on OpenSea.

According to the creators, the NFT also serves as a tool for holders to participate in Artsy Monke games and more. “We wanted Artsy Monke to be artwork that you could hang on your wall, but also, by using Web3 technology, we can also allow holders to access the Artsy Monke games and earn real money. The more Monke NFT you have , the more games you can play and the more money you can make,” said Dan Hovey, the blockchain developer behind the project.

Related: There’s more to NFTs than just PFPs – 5 ways non-fungible tokens will transform society

This BAYC-inspired project comes as the original collection remains a hot item on the market. Last month, hundreds of BAYC owners signed up to have their NFTs available for rental to outside brands. Shortly after, the clothing brand Old Navy released a shirt with a rented monkey.