New Tool "Nightshade" Disrupts Generative A.I. Models

The recent introduction of a free tool named “Nightshade” has exploded in popularity, with more than 250,000 downloads in just five days. Designed by researchers at the University of Chicago, Nightshade allows artists to “poison” artificial intelligence (A.I.) models that have been trained on their images without their consent.

Nightshade’s Astonishing Popularity

The software was released on January 18 and is available for download on Windows and Apple computers from the University’s website. Project leader Ben Zhao expressed surprise at the sheer number of downloads, which exceeded the team’s expectations. The team did not track the geographical location of downloads, but responses on social media suggest a global reach.

The Function and Impact of Nightshade

Nightshade “shades” images at the pixel level, making them appear different and causing any images generated by an A.I. model to be flawed. This modification affects how a machine-learning algorithm perceives the images. Nightshade is a companion product to Glaze, another tool developed by the same team, which causes A.I. models to misidentify an art style and replicate it incorrectly.

The team is currently exploring the potential of combining these two tools. Artists are currently advised to use Nightshade on an image first, followed by Glaze for added protection. However, this process might increase the level of visible artifacts in the work.

User Interface and Usage Warnings

Despite its lack of visual appeal, the program’s user interface is intuitive. Artists are guided through choosing an image to shade, adjusting two mandatory settings, and an optional third. The output is then rendered in between 30 and 180 minutes, depending on the settings selected.

However, the team also shared some words of caution, pointing out that it’s not advisable to announce an image as “poisoned,” as this would defeat the purpose. In addition, the program is memory intensive.

Future Integration

Social and portfolio application Cara, currently in open beta, is planning to integrate with Nightshade soon. This new tool has stirred up a lot of interest, and it will be interesting to see how it impacts the relationship between art and A.I. in the future.