This AI just got way better at generating cats that don’t exist

By Alma Fabiani

Published Nov 27, 2020 at 09:45 AM

Reading time: 2 minutes

12052

In 2019, the internet saw a wave of websites that each specialised in AI-generated content. From ThisPersonDoesNotExist.com, which generates infinite images of people who don’t exist, to ThisStartupDoesNotExist.com, which, you guessed it, generates pages of startups that don’t exist either, you could find any AI-generated imageries you wanted.

As more websites jumped on the bandwagon, some more trivial copycats started appearing, such as ThisWaifuDoesNotExist.net and ThisCatDoesNotExist.com. But while other websites’ algorithms seemed to really hit the nail on the head when picturing things that didn’t exist, ThisCatDoesNotExist.com became popular for the exact opposite reason; its ‘imaginary’ cats were creepy-looking creatures that people understandably turned into memes in no time.

How do those websites work?

Generative adversarial networks (GAN) work by running two classes of neural networks into one final output—meaning that they take real data and feed an algorithm that then distorts it in a formulaic way in order to create more variations that are anchored in real traits, but are completely fake.

GAN is also used for positive developments such as advancing virtual realities in video games or even aid in the visualisation of design across fashion to interiors as well as urban planning.

It is this machine-learning algorithm that sketches human faces, hentai, cats, or almost anything else by examining hundreds of thousands of already existing images.

But ThisCatDoesNotExist.com was not the best example

The website’s generated cat images looked more like the result of what would happen when hundreds of thousands of cat images, including text memes and their human owners’ faces, were mashed together by a cyber crash. The results were absolutely terrifying.

This AI just got way better at generating cats that don’t exist
This AI just got way better at generating cats that don’t exist
This AI just got way better at generating cats that don’t exist

Compared to ThisPersonDoesNotExist.com’s uncanny faces, which are almost completely indistinguishable from the real thing, these cats still have a long way to go. At least, that was back in 2019.

ThisCatDoesNotExist.com has finally perfected its craft

If you try going back on the website again, you’ll see that the AI-generated cat images are now just as credible as the people from ThisPersonDoesNotExist.com. Why is that? Well, just as we previously explained that these websites’ algorithms need to be fed real data in order to create fake images, ThisCatDoesNotExist.com would have had to have received enough cat pictures for it to reach real enough fake images. On top of that, it probably had to sort out through different images in order to get rid of memes including cats or other images of humans with cats.

While this tech advancement must have been the website’s pride and joy for a couple of weeks, it must have been a big disappointment soon after, as all bored people on the internet happily took advantage of this open-source technology for a bit of fun.

Keep On Reading

By Charlie Sawyer

Who TF Did I Marry TikTok saga is being turned into a TV show by White Lotus star

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Beauty creator Golloria George faces discriminatory backlash after criticising YSL blush

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Gen Z in Kenya is reshaping politics by taking a stand against the Tax Bill on social media

By Charlie Sawyer

Unpacking the Karen Read story: a victim of a police coverup or guilty of committing murder?

By Abby Amoakuh

Bridgerton event compared to Glasgow Willy Wonka experience after guests paid $250 for raw food

By Charlie Sawyer

What is Liam’s Law? Fans start petition to protect musicians’ mental health following One Direction star’s death

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

As faces of UK rioters are revealed, communities mobilise to stand against far-right violence

By Charlie Sawyer

Valentina Gomez calls basketball player Brittney Griner an unpatriotic lesbian in new video

By Abby Amoakuh

What is auramaxxing? Everything you need to know about the toxic self-improvement TikTok trend

By Emma O'Regan-Reidy

What is the ricezempic diet TikTok trend, and is it really Gen Z’s dupe of Ozempic?

By Abby Amoakuh

Liam Payne’s death prompts backlash against girlfriend Kate Cassidy and ex-fiancée Maya Henry

By Charlie Sawyer

Famous British athlete wishes rapist Steven van de Velde best of luck ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics

By Charlie Sawyer

2024 might be the flashiest European summer yet, but it’s also the most problematic

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Are gender quotas in schools sabotaging success for girls? Bulgaria’s controversial policy puts boys ahead

By Charlie Sawyer

SheerLuxe’s new AI-generated editor isn’t a stroke of genius, it’s a sign of ignorance

By Charlie Sawyer

Unhinged podcast’s viral TikTok exposes how sexist phrases reflect men’s failures

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Who is Chloe Ayling? BBC drama reveals the truth about the glamour model’s kidnapping

By Abby Amoakuh

Nara Smith and Ballerina Farm’s collaboration sparks online debate with tradwife conspiracy theories

By Charlie Sawyer

Lily Allen creates an OnlyFans account to sell feet pics for $10 per month

By Abby Amoakuh

It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover’s long history of controversies and problematic behaviour