Reddit user mariam717 has created an iPhone camera app that may well give the best AI image generators a run for their money. Lentil AI: Photo Art Generator uses artificial intelligence to transform photos into various fantasy-themed art styles, from glorious hand-drawn watercolors à la Studio Ghibli to blocky creations inspired by Minecraft and Lego.
Remarkably, posts on Reddit suggest that the young developer/entrepreneur who created the app is still in school. Talk about a bright future! The AI image generator/camera app allows you to capture a photo and then choose from a selection of AI filters or simply use existing photos as the basis for your AI creations.
What makes the software even cooler is the ability to switch between the original, unedited photo and the AI-generated image at will, by simply tilting your camera phone. Lentil is only available on iOS so you'll need an iPhone or one of the best iPhones for photography to make use of it.
The resemblance to lenticular imagery certainly isn't lost on mariam717, hence the name 'Lentil'. As the Redditor puts it: "One thing I’m very excited about: when you tilt your phone, the image switches between the original photo and the AI version, like one of those lenticular cards from back in the day."
I had a blast using the app in the office, turning my colleagues into perturbing-looking creations that bear more than a passing resemblance to Lego Minifigures or characters from a Tim Burton stop-motion movie, think Coraline or Corpse Bride.
I was particularly impressed by how the app handles more challenging subjects, like the view from Digital Camera World HQ. It turned the rather boring car park on a gray day into what looked like an awesome scene from The Lego Movie.
As is to be expected from AI tech, things don't always go to plan. The image of my colleague Adam Waring and I looks creepily Tim Burton-esque, but on closer inspection, our hands seem to have melded together and Adam has grown a third arm…
But mariam717 makes light of instances like this, stating: "You can also mix different styles together to see what happens. Some of the results are pretty cool, others are just... unexpected, so it's really fun to mess around with."
Lentil AI: Photo Art Generator is available to download from the Apple App Store.
Think Lego and photography is the perfect match? Check out the best LEGO figures with cameras. And if you're hoping to pick up a new phone, check out the best camera phone.
