The all-seeing AI webcam

On the infinite list of possible uses for AI, “getting selfie advice from a Kylie Jenner voice clone” seems both completely off-the-wall and also pretty inevitable. So of course it does exist. It’s not a widely-available app, at least not yet; it’s an experiment from artist and programmer Dries Depoorter.

With access to a couple of APIs from OpenAI and ElevenLabs, and a little knowledge of Python, you too can up your selfie game. The app will take a photo through your webcam, then feed it to ChatGPT with a prompt asking for funny advice in the voice of Ms. Jenner. The text output is then passed to an ElevenLabs voice clone of the selfie maven, and out pops the advice:

“Ok, love the candid vibe, but let’s add some drama. Turn towards the light, lose the headphones, and think mysterious thoughts to spice it up, cuz lighting is everything, babe.”

On this episode of The Vergecast, we explore the AI-tinged worlds Depoorter has been creating. The Kylie Jenner selfie bot is just the tip of the iceberg: throughout his career, Depoorter has built all manner of quirky and provocative installations and online experiments. There’s a clock that tells you how much of your life you’ve already lived; a phone charger that only works when your eyes are closed; a mobile chat app that you can only use when your phone has less than 5% battery.

His most eyebrow-raising work, though, is around AI and surveillance. In his projects Depoorter takes unsecured webcam footage from around the world, and uses it to stalk celebrities, catch jaywalkers in the act, keep politicians honest, and generally make you question your own privacy and anonymity.

We talked with Depoorter about how he creates his work, how he thinks about the future of AI, and how he responds to the people who see his art and want to turn it into commerce. It’s a wild conversation, so check it out above. To see all of Dries’ work, head over to his portfolio.