The best images from Google’s #deepdream software

Since Google made its “Deep Dream” software available last week, you may have noticed more and more pictures turning up in your news feeds with aesthetics and atmospheres more reminiscent of your last terrible acid trip than just “being on the internet”.

The algorithm is based on facial recognition software – basically it takes a picture and feeds it through a layer of artificial neurons, enhancing certain parts of it. As this process is repeated again and again, the software starts throwing up some haunting psychedelia, which is why you may have started seeing more dogslugs, hydralike humans and mortifying Magic Eyes than usual. Put simply, the code takes your images and turns them into modern surrealist art for you.

You’ve all seen the archetypal “man on ecstasy” GIF, right? He’s already scary, but stick his gurning face through Google’s “Deep Dream” software and you have a whole new beast altogether. Check out our gallery at the top for the best images from Google’s bad trips – this thing loves to hallucinate dogs.