PetSwap generates images of your pet as another species

Image: screenshot: rachel kraus/mashable

Deepfakes might be the endgame of objective truth, but at least the tech behind the dystopian phenomenon can let us have some fun with our pets!

Researchers at Nvidia have created an algorithm called PetSwap that lets you see what your pet would look like as a different species. As reported by Vice, the tool uses similar technology to what has enabled the creation of deepfakes, which are realistic images and videos generated by an algorithm — not based on an actual person or other IRL image.

The algorithm’s architects are demonstrating that AI is capable of thinking more like a human when it comes to “picking up the essence of a novel object from a small number of examples and generalizing from there,” they write.

Other forms of image generation algorithms rely on huge sets of training data, which they say limits its use. But Nvidia’s new algorithm only uses a small, limited group of images to give it the ability to turn an image of one distinct (furry, lovable) object into another.

The researchers have published a demo for the algorithm, so anyone can see what their pet would look like as another breed or even species. If you want to try it out, upload an image of your loyal good boy, draw a rectangle around the dog’s face using the cursor, and click translate to see them transformed.

Here’s a test of my good girl, Nymeria. For some reason, uploading the file flipped it horizontal, which I could not fix. But I decided to go with the weird profile-ized transformation anyway.

Image: screenshot: rachel kraus/mashable

Be aware that using the demo gives Nvidia photo rights, per the tools Terms and Conditions. Uploading constitutes: “a worldwide license to use (including without limitation for neural network training), host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such User Content.”

So yeah, if you’re not cool with Nvidia using a pic of your beloved companion as training data to further the degradation of truth, don’t do it. Otherwise, HAVE FUN!