Camera Snaps AI-Generated “Photos” Without Images

Technology often progresses in such a manner that you would never expect a device to resemble an unlikely creature; doubly so when the device itself is familiar but behaves in a way that is alien to you. Confused? That’s how most people feel when they see Bjørn Karmann’s unique camera.

At first glance, you would wonder about the appearance of Karmann’s camera, known as “Paragraphica”, as the front of the device doesn’t have a traditional lens, but a red star-like attachment that resembles the snout of a star-nosed mole to take “photos” powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

The 23-year-old Danish interaction designer constructed the unusual AI-powered device to create an accurate detailed description of your current location using real-time, open-source data; information provided is no longer limited to a visual aspect but a textual summation of weather conditions, date, temperature, geographic address, and nearby points of interest.

So why a nearly blind mole with a strange snoot?

“This amazing animal became the perfect metaphor and inspiration for how empathising with other intelligences and the way they perceive the world can be nearly impossible to imagine from a human perspective,” Karmann explains via his website.

He further elaborates that his creation is not for commercial purposes, but to raise awareness of the ways AI can have an impact on photography.

“We are seeing a trend [where] images aren’t actually reality already, so this was a big art exercise to really explore these questions in a tangible object that everyone can relate to,” Karmann mused.

Image Credit: Source