The “A Picture is worth a 1000 Words” Project

This might be a bit long but it documents an interesting self-referencing project I envisioned to have Deep Learning AI create and reuse something in a self-referencing strange loop. I consider this a personal Art Project BUT it was interesting, and may I suggest worth reading. 

Does AI really know what it is doing?

 1. First up I gave chatGPT the following task.

It actually only wrote 499 words but they do seem intelligent and coherent enough (in a roundabout way). They are reproduced unedited below.

2. I took this text and duplicated it and literally added “two words.” then reproduced it on a single A4 sheet (I had to make it a landscape orientation and make the font tiny)

3.  I photographed it (to make it an image).

4. Then I submitted the same 1000-word quote as a prompt and a photograph of the text to Stable Diffusion as a reference/starter image. Not sure what it is trying to portray (if anything). Yet I can see how it is related to my 1000 word project.

The text from ChatGPT …..

The phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words" is a timeless adage that has been passed down through generations. It speaks to the idea that visual imagery can convey a wealth of meaning and emotion in a way that words cannot always capture. This quote has become so ubiquitous that it is often used in everyday conversation, advertising, and even in academic circles. However, the idea behind it is much deeper and more complex than the simple phrase suggests.

To truly understand the significance of this quote, we must first explore the relationship between words and images. Words are powerful tools for communication, but they have their limitations. They rely on the reader's ability to interpret them correctly, and they can be subject to different interpretations depending on the reader's perspective. Images, on the other hand, are more universally understood. They can communicate ideas and emotions in a way that is less dependent on interpretation and more dependent on the visual experience.

One of the main advantages of visual imagery is that it can capture complex emotions and ideas that are difficult to express in words. For example, an image of a sunset over a calm ocean can evoke a sense of peace and tranquility that is hard to capture in words. Similarly, an image of a child's face can convey a range of emotions from joy to sadness, without the need for a single word. These emotions and ideas can be conveyed in an instant through an image, while it would take much longer to express them through words.

Another advantage of visual imagery is that it can convey information quickly and efficiently. This is particularly true in the age of social media and the internet, where people are bombarded with information every day. A well-crafted image can capture a person's attention and convey a message much more effectively than a block of text. This is why social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest have become so popular, as they allow people to share images and visual content in a way that is easily digestible and engaging.

Despite these advantages, it is important to remember that images and words are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they often work together to convey meaning and emotion. For example, a news article may use words to describe an event, but it is often accompanied by an image that helps to bring the story to life. Similarly, a marketing campaign may rely on both words and images to convey its message and connect with its audience.

In conclusion, the phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words" captures the idea that visual imagery can convey a wealth of meaning and emotion in a way that words cannot always capture. While words are powerful tools for communication, images have their advantages, particularly in their ability to capture complex emotions and ideas quickly and efficiently. Ultimately, it is the combination of words and images that can create a truly powerful and engaging message.

…..Actually only 499 words

I also submitted the prompt to Dall.E (although I couldn’t submit a reference/starter image). These don’t make a lot of sense to me. Although they are photorealistic?

And also a couple of other systems, similar to MidJourney, again not making a lot of sense.

But my favourite is still Style Transfer. I can see a little creative self-reference here, I’m just not sure it was created intentionally

All images, other than those created in Dall.E 4, where created at @nightcafe studio

PS: If you want to consider "worth" to be represented by bandwidth or file space required. Then an image will cost at least between 5 and 10 times that of the equivalent raw text, or even 100 to 300 times if you need something of higher resolution. SO a picture costs a lot more than 1000 words to move around the internet.