Introducing: the AI Glove.

The world as you know it is about to change (a double announcement).

I have two announcements in this post, which is two more than what I usually have. I'm not sure if I've ever had a proper announcement since I've been doing this, and it feels good. Like this might be a legit operation. A serious newsletter.

A year ago there weren't many people reading this and it would have felt odd to tell a handful of people that I have an announcement. Too formal or something. The five of you that were reading might have given me a strange look and said 'Why are you being all weird? Just tell us the thing'.

Anyway, here's the first one:

As of today, I'm allowing people to become paying supporters of my work.

For starters, nothing is going to change. I'm not going to hide my posts behind a paywall or anything like that. Everything will continue to remain free.

I have plans to provide little surprises now and then to paying subscribers, including one that I will give more details on later in this post. And there is also something special coming up that I plan to make free to paying subs as well. A project I've been working on since last year which I hope will be the first of many.

For the most part though, becoming a paying subscriber is a way to become a patron and a supporter of this newsletter. And of me. And to allow me to slowly grow this thing and ensure I can continue to spend more time on it.

It feels slightly uncomfortable to be inviting people to support me in this way, despite the fact that when I think about the artists and writers whose work I've paid for over the years, it's often felt very meaningful to me. That I'm able to support them in this way and show my appreciation for their art and the gift that it provides me.

Working on this newsletter each week is an absolute joy. I bloody love writing and drawing and creating something delightful that I get to send to people's inboxes, and that they actually open and read despite the staggering amount of stupid jokes. I think part of the joy of writing and creating art and sending it out into the world is that you get to find lots of other weird and wonderful people that are like you.

At the same time, it's also a huge amount of work. A labour of love that I spend many hours on each week, writing and drawing in between my paid job and all the other life stuff that fits in around it. It can often feel like a scramble to get it over the line each week.

And so I'm trying to be less weird about it and to just do it. To believe in the work I'm doing and that this can be the start of a wonderful journey together. I certainly plan to be doing this for a long time and so I hope you'll stick around for it.

So with all that said, I am activating the switch and if you so wish, you can become a paid subscriber as of today. I will also be adding a 'buy me a coffee' button to my posts too, so you can also gift me a one-off payment if the monthly thing isn't for you.

If all this is something you'd prefer not to do or can't afford to, then that's perfectly fine. As I said, everything will still remain free to all. I really appreciate every share and comment and that each week you open up and read my newsletter when it shows up in your inbox. Life Crumbs means a lot to me and I'm glad it means something to you too. So thank you.

There's a lot of hype about AI at the moment. I'm sure you've heard plenty about it.

So much has changed in such a short space of time. It feels like not that long ago when we were all using ChatGPT to write poems and Shakespeare, and now all of a sudden everyone has their own AI Scarlett Johansson on their phone because Sam Altman watched the movie Her and for some reason didn’t find it terrifying like the rest of us.

Then there’s all the image generators, allowing prompt writers to flourish and create art the world has never seen, unless you count all the previous art the world has seen over many hundreds of years, all of which has been scraped by AI in order to make this brand new art out of thin air. Or more like thick air. The dense air from inside the cloud that all the art in the world has been uploaded into and which connects seamlessly to the AI image generators.

Things are moving very fast and it's a scary time for artists and creators everywhere.

I’m a believer in AI becoming a tool for artists to enhance their work. And that nothing will beat something that comes from another human. And that’s why it’s meaningful.

But, there's also a common saying in times like this as well, which is that: if you can't beat ‘em, join ‘em.

And so that's what I've done.

For many months I've tucked myself away and worked tirelessly on a secret project. A powerful piece of AI technology that is set to revolutionise the art world. And also the world in general. Everyone, basically.

And so I'm excited to announce here - in what is potentially my dumbest idea yet that I may totally regret but I'm trying not to think about too much - and what is also a world and Life Crumbs exclusive, my brand new product.

The CrumbGPT AI Drawing Glove is a world first. A wearable piece of AI tech and a completely new kind of AI drawing tool unlike anything else on the market, one that is actually built into the glove itself.

And here's what I'm offering.

If you sign up for a paid membership or gift a one-off payment of the same value or higher, I will send you a custom artwork as drawn by the CrumbGPT AI Drawing Glove based on a prompt of your choosing, with the glove being operated and worn by me, as it's currently the only prototype.

Here's how it works:

1. Sign up for either a monthly paid subscription or gift a one-off payment of the same value or higher (minimum of 2 x coffees).

2. Send me your prompt. It doesn’t have to be straight away, as long as it’s sometime between now and Tuesday 11th June (the earlier the better). You can do this by either dropping it in the comments or emailing me at: lifecrumbs@substack.com. It can be anything as long as it's not rude or offensive.

3. I will send you the results of your CrumbGPT AI Drawing Glove artwork the following week, and depending on how things pan out, I may also share a few in next week’s newsletter (with your permission).

If this sounds like the dumbest idea ever and you'd prefer to just become a paid subscriber or gift a one-off donation without being involved in any of this, that is of course totally fine and I fully respect that and really appreciate your support.

Even though I’m excited to see what people come up with and I hope you’re into it, you definitely do not have to take part or provide a prompt if you don't want to.

And if you want no part of any of this whatsoever and think this whole thing is a load of bollocks and I need to grow up and get back to writing, I respect that too. Even if it does sting a little.

What is the cut off date for prompt submissions?

The cut off is Tuesday 11th June, 9am Australian Western Standard Time. After this, submissions will be closed.

What if I don't want my artwork to be shared in the newsletter?

That's totally fine. I haven’t figured out how or even if I’ll share them yet, but you can definitely just keep the drawing for yourself. Either way, I’ll get your permission first.

What kind of things can I request?

It can be anything as long as it’s not offensive or rude. A duck sweat-smiling and wearing a hat. A hat sweat-smiling and wearing a duck. Or something completely unrelated to ducks and hats.

Your prompt could even include a drawing of your dog, cat, guinea pig or other animal. Or a picture of yourself. The glove can actually draw pictures of specific people and animals if you provide a reference photo. How it works is I just describe the photo with vivid detail when speaking into the glove. I know, it's incredible technology. If you'd like to send me a reference photo to use, you can email it to me at: lifecrumbs@substack.com along with your prompt.

Or, if you want to be surprised, your prompt could even be a randomly generated drawing of the glove’s choosing.

Can I request my prompt to be drawn in a certain style like Picasso or something?

No. This glove has been trained and programmed to draw based on my own drawing style. i.e. the Life Crumbs drawing style.

It's not Midjourney or Dall-E 3. If you're hoping for a photo-realistic looking Minotaur standing in a magical forest, then you're probably going to be disappointed. This is a Life Crumbs product and is designed to mimic someone who has a passable drawing ability and is prone to very wobbly and uneven line work and sometimes questionable results when it comes to proportions and certain animals and various other things.

So you’re saying I should lower my expectations?

Exactly. The CrumbGPT AI Drawing Glove is not ready for the mass market yet and as such there are likely to be glitches here and there. It also only works for a maximum of 10 minutes on each drawing before it gets too hot and needs to rest. I know, it's very buggy. I really can’t stress enough how temperamental the glove is at this stage and how results might vary, which can seem eerily linked to drawing ability and what is achievable in 10 minutes.

What will my drawing be delivered as?

You will receive your artwork as an A5 digital drawing via email.

Can't I just buy my own CrumbGPT AI Drawing Glove and do my own AI artwork?

At this stage there is only one prototype glove and therefore only I can operate the glove.

I am a wealthy investor and I would like to know how I can invest in the CrumbGPT AI Drawing Glove?

A monthly paid subscription or donation is all I'm accepting at this time. If you're Sam Altman or one of the other AI big dogs, please stop contacting me. The Glove is not for purchase.

Are you worried no one will take part and think the whole idea is terrible?

Yes. Thank you for asking. To be honest, I worry about most of my ideas that I send out, but I try to just tune out that negative voice.

Sounds like a bad idea to ignore your inner voice.

Sorry, where is this going? Was there an actual question that you had?

Oh..um, when will the regular posts be back?

Things will be back to normal in the next week or so. I have a few posts that are in the works that I’m looking forward to sharing with you.

Can you provide any details about how the glove works?

To be honest it's extremely complicated and hard to explain. There's all sorts of wires and tiny glowing orbs and stuff like that. You wouldn't get it (no offence).

It sounds like you’re being coy about the whole thing because you don’t know yourself or the whole thing is fake.

I hope you have a good lawyer.

Ok, so the CrumbGPT AI Drawing Glove is definitely real then?

Yes.¹

Final comments

Thanks for reading and being a part of all this. I hope to have some fun stuff to share with you next week if this goes well, and the glove also doesn't overheat or get cranky, or tired and overwhelmed and basically regret the whole idea. As can happen with super advanced AI technology.

And as I mentioned above, I have a couple of posts in the works beyond this so things will return to normal again soon if AI gloves aren't your thing.

Have a great week!

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