AI Image Generators Now Hide Subliminal Messages in Visuals

Stable Diffusion, an open-source AI image generator released in August 2022, has introduced a new capability to embed hidden text and messages within images using ControlNet, a neural network structure that allows the AI to process two prompts simultaneously. On July 17, 2023, a Reddit user posted a tutorial on generating images with concealed text, such as a group photo of Asian people in dark clothing hiding the word 'OBEY', reminiscent of John Carpenter's film 'They Live'. This feature originated on June 26, 2023, when Monster Labs released a package on Hugging Face enabling users to generate hidden QR codes inside illustrations. Subsequently, tools like Illusion Diffusion (by developer AP123) and Glif have emerged, creating optical illusions based on Gestalt theory. Artists such as John Rafman, Olga Mikh Fedorova, Francesco D'Isa, MrUgleh, and meme creators have embraced these techniques. The article discusses historical precedents for optical illusions in art, from medieval grotesques to anamorphosis in Holbein the Younger's 'The Ambassadors' (1533), trompe-l'œil by Mantegna, Arcimboldo's pareidolia, Salvador Dalí, M.C. Escher, and contemporary artists Richard Hughes, Vik Muniz, Tim Noble & Sue Webster. The author, Valerio Veneruso, raises concerns about the potential for political or commercial subliminal messaging, comparing the hype to the NFT boom.