Two German artists have developed a prototype camera that uses artificial intelligence to generate nude images of clothed individuals within seconds, a project they say is designed to provoke debate about the erosion of reality in the age of generative AI.
The device, named NUCA, was created by Mathias Vef and Benedikt Groß, who describe it as a "deepfake camera." It is a consumer-sized device that employs AI to produce nude pictures of practically any clothed person, with or without their consent, according to a report by Fast Company.
The camera, weighing 15 ounces and built from 3D-designed and printed parts, embeds a smartphone that captures the image and sends it to a Stable Diffusion engine. The AI model then superimposes the subject's face onto an AI-generated naked body. The entire process takes about ten seconds, Vef told Fast Company. "One of the challenges was to reduce the time for the generation of the images," he said. "We used mostly tools that are publicly available, but to combine them in a very efficient way and put it in a working device is something that hasn't been done before."
Vef and Groß emphasize that NUCA is not intended for actual privacy invasion but serves as a working prototype for artistic expression. They plan to exhibit it in Berlin this summer. The project's website states that NUCA has already sparked reactions ranging from fears of AI's bias towards body cult and beauty mania to enthusiasm for its celebration of natural human beauty. The site adds, "This project prompts a crucial discussion on AI's potential, emphasizing consent, algorithmic fairness, and the societal impacts of AI-generated imagery."
Why This Matters
The creation of NUCA comes amid growing concerns over deepfakes. Recent incidents include pornographic deepfakes of singer Taylor Swift flooding social media, and deepfakes of underage girls circulating in schools. These events have heightened public alarm about the misuse of AI-generated content.
While NUCA is a provocation, it underscores how accessible generative AI tools have become, enabling the creation of photorealistic images of real people. The artists' intent is to highlight a pressing issue by presenting it in a provocative form, and their warning is timely as society grapples with the implications of such technology.
German artists Mathias Vef and Benedikt Groß have created NUCA, a prototype camera that uses AI to generate nude images of clothed people within ten seconds. The project aims to provoke discussion about consent, algorithmic fairness, and the broader societal impact of AI-generated imagery.
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