The Commodore 64 computer runs an AI image generator that produces retro game sprites. (Image Credit: nickbild/Github)
The Commodore 64 system, released in August 1982, may take some computer enthusiasts by surprise as it features some hardware capable of running an AI image generator. Nick Bild, a developer, created a Generative AI tool that runs on a Commodore 64 to produce 8x8 sprites expanded to a 64x64 image. Those retro sprites can help developers come up with new game designs.
Despite the hardware’s age, users need to wait twenty minutes to generate an image through 94 iterations. Although more iterations take longer, it produces better images. And the tool doesn’t need to rely on something like OpenAI to get the job done. Nick adapted a probabilistic PCA algorithm, trained on a modern PC, to run on the Commodore 64.
He developed this model using a modified version of the Python code and created 100 retro sprites (binary strings) using a spreadsheet for help. The data then trained his AI model on a modern PC with modified scripts. That generated parameter values, like covariance matrix, mean matrix, and more, which are only calculated once for a provided dataset. Afterward, they were fed into a simplified logic-developed script that runs the randomization and generative parts of the algorithm.
Thanks to that simplification, the logic can be converted into BASIC code --- compatible with Commodore 64. He then inputs this code into a C64 system, producing unique images “that fit into the distribution of the training data.” Lastly, the 8x8 images expand to 64x64 before being displayed on a screen.
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