We’ve partnered with Neural Frens!

NFTs and AI and image labeling, oh my!

Published in

Effect Network

4 min readFeb 7, 2022

Neural Frens is an ecosystem that embraces experiments with AI-generated content and NFTs. The Neural Frens ecosystem is powered by a fungible BEP-20 token called AI and is constructed around a genesis NFT collection of 7,777 AI-generated meme frogs known as NP (Neural Pepe).

Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed how people connect, work, and consume material. AI is now being used in almost every facet of life, and now has a new application: art creation. NFTs are sweeping the world of art and music. The NFT space exploded in popularity last year, crossing a market cap of $41 billion.

How is AI-generated art made?

Generative adversarial networks (GANs) are used to produce AI-generated NFTs. A GAN is made up of two neural networks: the first, known as the generator, randomly mixes all of the images stored in its memory and creates random combinations, while the second, known as the discriminator, selects the generator’s random results based on how well they match the recurring pattern found in the original images. The discriminator’s job is to mimic human judgment by weeding out any paintings that aren’t likely to be human-created works.

The pitfalls of NFT-generated art

When AI is employed to generate NFT art, you don’t have the attribute metadata. Take, for instance, Crypto Punks NFTs. When those are generated, you automatically have traits such as hair, glasses, accessories, etc. classified and attributed to each NFT. When AI generates an NFT, it is up to humans to classify traits. Classifying an NFT in a large collection, one by one, is tedious, and leads to bias and misclassification.

How Neural Pepe was generated

The generative adversarial network StyleGAN2 was used to create the neural Pepe. Over 7,000 distinct Pepe the Frog artworks were included in the collection. Several versions of models are included in the final collection to increase the variety of the final collection. A collection of features of varying rarity is included in each Neural Pepe NFT.

Pairing humans and AI for NFT trait classification

Trait classification is where the power of the crowd saves the day! The decentralized microtasking platform Effect Force is the key to classifying traits and producing the metadata needed for AI-generated NFTs. Tens of thousands of workers classify the NFTs in real-time, on the blockchain, and earn cryptocurrency for their efforts.

Neural Frens is pioneering the way of trait classification

Back in October of 2021, Neural Frens utilized Effect Force to classify traits of the initial Neural Pepe collection. A handful of expert image labelers, 38 to be exact, completed 29,365 tasks in record time.

Last week, there was another round of tasks launched by Neural Frens, and this time workers on Effect Force were tasked with labeling six different attributes. A total of 55,857 tasks were completed by 43 of the top image labeling experts in less than 24 hours. What makes this round unique is that it was part of the preparation that went into the launch of Humanized Pepe!

An exciting partnership for an inspiring NFT future

Effect Network and Neural Frens are similar in that they both use artificial intelligence and blockchain to bring communities together via the power of technology. In working with Neural Frens, we hope to add even more value to the NFT community, particularly those who are a part of the Neural Frens eco-system. On the Effect Network, we’ve developed a special dApp for Neural Frens. This will enable them to instantly connect with the Effect Force workforce, who will annotate their NFTs. Their tasks will be specially featured on the new version of Effect Force, ensuring that they are highly visible to our large and rapidly expanding workforce. Workers who have engaged in labeling NP in the past, as well as those who participate in future campaigns, will have a chance to win one of several NP NFTs donated by Neural Frens in celebration of this partnership as well as recognize the quality of annotations that the workforce has provided.

Want to see us partner with your favorite dApp? Nominate them in the comments below. Do you have a dApp and want to partner with the Effect Network? Tell us all about it! You can connect easily with us on our Discord server.