This is infinitely more impressive than Google's image generation. There are zillion ways to generate weird-looking images. However, this paper claims to:
1. Have trained a networks to generate handwriting. Handwriting can be objectively judged, unlike those images. The interactive demo does look pretty darn cool.
2. Made it so the network can be "primed" by small samples of new handwriting. This is the most impressive part, because it is something that actually qualifies as semi-generic AI. You train it on one thing and then it does another thing.
Actually, the second part is bit too impressive, compared to everything I've seen from NNs before. I've read the paper, but I don't understand how this priming works. How big is the primer? Is it just the sample shown on the website? Are there any constraints? Can I simply supply a sample of my writing with a textual "translation" for this network to pick up some aspects of my writing style?
> This is infinitely more impressive than Google's image generation. There are zillion ways to generate weird-looking images
Google wasn't training their NNs to 'generate weird-looking images'. The NNs were for image-classification (which is pretty impressive), the weird images were just a visualisation/artefact of the training process.
They developed and tuned a fairly elaborate process designed specifically for generating those images out of classification NNs.
The difference between the two demos is that the impressiveness of those images is mostly subjective, while handwriting replication has pretty well-established criteria to judge it by. Also, it sounds like priming is fast and does not require tons of samples.
1. Have trained a networks to generate handwriting. Handwriting can be objectively judged, unlike those images. The interactive demo does look pretty darn cool.
2. Made it so the network can be "primed" by small samples of new handwriting. This is the most impressive part, because it is something that actually qualifies as semi-generic AI. You train it on one thing and then it does another thing.
Actually, the second part is bit too impressive, compared to everything I've seen from NNs before. I've read the paper, but I don't understand how this priming works. How big is the primer? Is it just the sample shown on the website? Are there any constraints? Can I simply supply a sample of my writing with a textual "translation" for this network to pick up some aspects of my writing style?