Google Research has been working on automatic object recognition by training an artificial neural network with millions of digital images. The idea is that the software can use this training to identify images by itself. While this kind of machine learning is useful for finding similar images on Google or facial recognition, it also has a fun side.

Deep Dream is a Google Project that lets the neural network’s imagination run wild by amplifying any object it recognises. This means that if you give it a picture containing, say, a saucer it might take this shape and turn it into an eyeball.

There are plenty of apps out there that are using Deep Dream alongside artistic filters to give Dali, Van Gogh and Picasso-like effects to your snaps. One of the best is Dreamscope (available on iOS, Android and as a web app). There are scores of effects, each one seeming trippier than the next. Definitely the stuff of electric dreams and nightmares.

deepdreamgenerator.com