Crungus
{{Short description|Imaginary creature created by text-to-image models}}
File:Craiyon images of crungus.jpg app]]
{{Artificial intelligence}}
A Crungus is an imaginary creature found in artificial intelligence text-to-image models, sometimes also referred to as a digital cryptid. Twitch streamer, voice actor, and comedian Guy Kelly found that typing the made-up word into the Craiyon image generator consistently produced pictures of a monstrous, hairy humanoid.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2337303-why-do-ais-keep-creating-nightmarish-images-of-strange-characters/|title=Why do AIs keep creating nightmarish images of strange characters?|website=New Scientist|first=Matthew|last=Sparkes|date=September 13, 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.globaltechoutlook.com/ai-dragged-a-monster-out-of-hell-and-left-it-to-terrorize-internet-users/|title=AI Dragged a Monster Out of Hell and Left it to Terrorize Internet Users!|website=www.globaltechoutlook.com|author=Rahul|date=June 29, 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.analyticsinsight.net/googles-ai-finds-the-scary-crungus-that-humans-are-yet-to-discover/|title=Google's AI Finds the Scary 'Crungus' that Humans are Yet to Discover|website=www.analyticsinsight.net|date=23 June 2022 }}{{Cite web |title=AI Dreamed Up a Bizarre Nightmare Creature That Doesn't Actually Exist... We Hope |url=https://futurism.com/ai-nightmare-crungus/ |website=Futurism.com|date=21 June 2022 }}{{Cite web|url=https://iflscience.com/nothing-to-worry-about-dall-e-has-created-a-new-cryptid-named-crungus-64118|title=Nothing To Worry About: Dall-E Has Created A New Cryptid Named Crungus|website=IFLScience|first=James|last=Felton|date=June 21, 2022}}
He later tweeted about this{{Cite tweet|user=brainmage|number=1538111384390619136|title=Guy Kelly's (@brainmage)'s original tweet about the Crungus}} which resulted in a very long thread of reactions and experiments with "Crungus" and variations of this AI-prompt also on different engines.
Since Craiyon version 2 was introduced in 2023, the prompt "Crungus" no longer produces the same imaginary creature.{{Citation needed |date=March 2025}}
Origins
It is unclear how the Crungus in Craiyon's output came into existence. Kelly thinks an error in the AI software models is the most likely explanation. In any case, the Krampus was quickly eliminated as a model. Although the horned mythical figure from the Alpine region has a similar name and his mask looks almost exactly the same, the term "Krampus" on Craiyon provides different images.
Kelly also speculated at the AI was responding to the "-rungus" suffix, noting the similar appearance of heavy metal performer Oderus Urungus, and could be interpreting the word as something "orc-based", in reference to the fantasy creatures.
See also
- Artificial intelligence art
- Loab, another AI generated cryptid