Every year since 2022, I create a video based on the poem Nirvana by Charles Bukowski using the latest open-source AI models. I spend weeks pouring everything I have into each video and mostly end up unhappy with the result - in 2023, I was so unhappy that I made it twice. The memory of each creation is seared into my brain.
Over the decades, my goal is to create a bookmark of both the technology and my own artistic skills.
I spent the past two years building the Banodoco discord, a community that aims to capture everything that I love about the open source AI art ecosystem.
Thanks to all the people who hang out and contribute there, I believe that it's the best place in the world to be if you want to be on the cutting edge of the tools that are shaping the future of art.
I also hang out there all day, every day. Say hello!
Building upon the developments of the community, I created what I believe was the first streamlined method for controlling video diffusion models using key frames. My approach extensively used the work of Matt3o, Kosinkadink, and many others in the Animatediff, ComfyUI, and Stable Diffusion 1.5 ecosystems. Ian Gallagher also helped get it working far more VRAM-efficiently.Though people created many beautiful videos with it - it was used for stage visuals at many festivals in 2024! - it was limited by the resolution and motion of AnimateDiff. I have a plan for a next-level version that will provide far greater control over both the visuals and motion. Coming mid-2025.
If humanity plays its cards right, at some point this century, a period known as the "2nd Renaissance" will begin - a time when humans are empowered with extraordinary technology and wealth, and are inspired to use it to make the world more beautiful and meaningful. If you believe in this idea and dedicate your life to it, you may be able to accelerate the advent of this era by a few days.
I'm very interested in building tools to enhance the capabilities of agents across both engineering and creative domains.
I spent 4.5 years of my life building a startup that ultimately went nowhere. It was a bruising but educational experience. I have many thoughts on the motivations behind the startups of generically ambitious people - which is what I was - but I'll save those for another time.
Very stereotypically, my family runs a pub in a small town in the middle of Ireland. That feels relevant to include for some reason.
For reference, I am 190cm - meaning my BMI currently is {calculate based on last measurement}. I'm publishing my daily weight measurements as part of my desire to maintain a more stable weight. This approach is inspired by my friend Matteo who published this great blog about how one of the greatest benefits of doing things in the open is that it gives you a greater sense of accountability to the public.
Here is a small collection of memes that I think about a lot.
If you find any memes you think I'll enjoy, please send them to me via electronic mail.
