If I were to ask you if this was the way to the village, would you say yes?

[john_amend_all]

In the last few years, generative AI has clearly developed many uses. Pictures of Paddington Bear bringing Sutekh's gift of death to all humankind? No sooner said than done. Footage of your favourite ship pair kissing, even when they never met in canon? There's a generator for that. Let alone the twerking...

One application that isn't so obvious and can sometimes lead to amusing not-quite-there misconceptions is to convert a picture into a romance novel summary. Feed whatever picture you like into the classifier at imagetoprompt.com, click on the thumbnail, and ask it "If this was the cover for a romance novel, what might the blurb say?" (For added verisimilitude, you can tell it the characters' names too).

For instance, if I give it this well-known picture from The Invasion and ask "If this was the cover for a romance novel, what might the blurb say? The blonde is called Isobel and the brunette is called Zoe" it comes up with:

**Blurb:** In the vibrant heart of the 1960s, Isobel and Zoe navigate the kaleidoscopic world of fashion, friendship, and unspoken desires. Isobel, a bold photographer with an eye for beauty, is captivated by the enigmatic charm of Zoe, a free-spirited model who dances to the rhythm of her own heart. As they explore their burgeoning feelings against a backdrop of colorful fabric and lively parties, they must confront societal norms and the complexity of love. When a secret from Zoe’s past threatens to unravel everything they’ve built, will their connection endure the test of truth? Join Isobel and Zoe on a journey filled with laughter, heartache, and the kind of love that dares to break all boundaries. Will they find a way to embrace their authentic selves together, or will the world around them tear them apart? Dive into this enchanting tale of passion and friendship, where every snapshot could be their last... or the beginning of something beautiful.

Or Ace and Susan Q:

**Title: Love in the Shadows** **Blurb:** In a city where danger lurks around every corner, two unlikely souls find themselves drawn together amid chaos. Ace, a rebellious street artist with a penchant for mischief, stumbles upon an underground scene that unleashes her wild side. But when she encounters the enigmatic and dangerously captivating Susan, a performer with secrets darker than her dramatic makeup, everything changes. As they navigate a world filled with intrigue and unexpected peril, Ace discovers that beneath Susan's tough exterior lies a heart yearning for connection. Together, they unravel the mysteries binding them, leading them to confront their deepest fears and desires. Can love flourish amid the blood and shadows, or will the past come back to haunt them? Join Ace and Susan on a thrilling journey of passion, heartbreak, and redemption in Love in the Shadows.

Comments

[lurking_latinist]

Why is AI always telling me to join people on journeys? The automatic video summaries that YouTube has started offering use the same turn of phrase very often.

I suppose we humans must use it enough that it has learned!

[john_amend_all]

This particular generator seems to have a basic formula for any given prompt, as if it starts with (in this case) its idea of the average romance novel blurb and then plugs in what it can glean from the picture. In a similar way, if I don't tell it the names it makes up ones of its own, and it seems to gravitate to Jake or Ethan for men and Clara or Mia for women far more often than chance would suggest.

[lurking_latinist]

Also, I would describe Susan Q’s makeup with almost any adjective in the world other than “dark”!

[john_amend_all]

tbf, it just says her secrets are darker than her makeup, as would almost anything be :-)