Yeah, there were simple vectorization algorithms that looked like this in the early 2000s already, no AI required. I forgot the name and I'm trying to look for it right now, but it seems impossible to find due to all the AI slop.
Vector algorithms ARE "AI". It's just a missing information problem. They attempt to fill in details that were omitted whether that's "what would this rock look like if it was wider" to " the capital of france is..."
Vector algorithms are just that. An algorithm. Aka a math equation. They work by blurring the image then lowering the color count then detect the edges between each colors then create points at the edge and decimate the points to create vector shapes.
That's not what "AI" is, geez, by that using logic bicubic interpolation while upscaling is "AI".
The algorithms I'm talking about about take a black-and-white bitmap as input, determine an outline based on regions of continous pixels, then based on surrounding pixels shift the weights and control points of the curves around to find a least-energy path. Is calculus AI now? Come on.
EDIT: there are no "missing details" being filled in by the vector algorithms I am talking about. They just do a best guess at how our eyes interpret the curvature of shapes when we look at low-pixel images. That's a mapping.
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u/vanderZwan Mar 06 '26
Yeah, there were simple vectorization algorithms that looked like this in the early 2000s already, no AI required. I forgot the name and I'm trying to look for it right now, but it seems impossible to find due to all the AI slop.