ONE MAN used AI to imagine what famous historical figures would like if they could take SELFIES.
Duncan Thomsen, 53, has photos of the Battle of Waterloothe court of Cleopatra – and the Last Supper.
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He also took pictures of Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I and soldiers at Agincourt.
Duncan, a freelance film editor based in Brighton, believes he is the first person to use AI for this purpose – and said the results are “hilarious”.
He said: “AI is advanced technology. I spent a month working out a formula of prompts, language and photographic elements to give photos this ‘selfie’ effect.
“The results are hilarious and everyone I’ve shared my work with can’t believe how real the photos really look.
“I’ve done Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth I, Henry VIII, Jesus and many more.”
AI responds to user prompts and commands and takes pictures by referencing billions of images online.
Duncan uses Midjourney software, via the Discord application, to create his own photographic historical selfies.
It can be a lengthy programming process because AI requires users to tell it exactly what to do and requires an “absolute description,” he said.
Duncan added that he believes his technique could be used to teach history in schools.
He said: “This technology can be used in schools as a new way to educate and engage children in world history – it’s like traveling through time without a time machine.
“You can ask AI to be historically accurate and then it can reference anything, anywhere, anywhere — that’s the beauty of it.
“I got an eye for image through my day job and have been lucky enough to have worked with some really great people.
“It has allowed me to compare everything I’ve worked on and explore my imagination without limits, and this is the result!”
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