Word-painting takes on a whole new meaning with WordsEye. This new web-based technology – currently still in beta – actually puts your words into pictures. It allows you to “use language to position and describe 1000’s of 3D objects and images,” which you can then personalize with a more familiar range of image filters and graphics tools. The results can be every bit as surreal as you’d expect.

According to the creators, “WordsEye is cutting-edge technology that works by parsing text input into a semantic representation which is then rendered as a 3D scene. This process relies on a large database of linguistic and world knowledge about objects, their parts, and their properties.” Right now, as said, the platform is still only a web-based implementation, but a mobile app is apparently under development, and you can sign up to the beta program and try it out right now.

Writers may find this useful for visualization or simply inspiration. But the real interest lies in where this technology could go. At present it’s working off a limited range of vocabulary and stored images – in the thousands, perhaps, but no more. However, in time, it could evolve into something far more sophisticated – which could compose a Second Life style, or even a true-life picture, from a narrative. Scrolling real-time visual composition from your audiobook? It could happen.

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