I've been experimenting with getting a tiny circa-2015 recurrent neural network to generate Halloween costumes. Running on a single cat hair-covered laptop,char-rnnhas no internet training, but learns from scratch to imitate the data I give it.
A little while ago I revisited a dataset from 2018, over 7100 user-submitted Halloween costumes (3173 with exact duplicates removed). Char-rnn generated somepretty intriguing costumes. But because its training data was old, it was missing out on more recent pop culture. I asked AI Weirdness readers to help submitting more data to bring the neural net up to date, and you delivered! The costume dataset now contains 8362 entries (about 5730 with exact duplicates removed). I trained char-rnn on the updated 2025 dataset and now it … still doesn't know to complete the phrase "Kpop " with something topical like "Kpop demon hunters".
Kpop dumpsterKpop and the American cheeseKpop AssassinKpop of WoodKpop of ShopKpop grocerieKpop EggKpop of Halloween worker
It's not the neural network's fault. People submitted individual characters from Kpop Demon Hunters, and even one reference to "K-Pop Demon Hunters" but without internet training to draw from, it doesn't know that any of this is related. It also doesn't know that lowercase and uppercase p are basically the same. To it, "Kpop" and "K-Pop" are as different as "That" and "Treat".
Still, char-rnn is able to build new costumes by moving individual words around from one costume to another, resulting in interesting new characters that you will probably not be able to explain to anyone.
Steve skeletonStrange Stuff ThorRoman ScientistGreen ElizabethHealth LauraPrincess Grandma ChickenGus PantherGlamrock BatmanSpider FredPots's Hair AngelJamm the HedgehogGrandma MarshmallowCaptain DaggyRobot Van Ostrich
I picture Jamm the Hedgehog as some kind of early 90s mascot with a surfboard and neon shorts, meant to convince kids that the regional sewer district is cool actually.
I'm not sure how to picture some of these, but these are definitely costumes you could dress as.
A ShunsuitInflatable ShadowVampire of LibertyThe ChillSanta ManFiner PantsSexy Swan MageHuntress horseShower ScientistGirl GirlThe Grumpy RevelerPool UnicornWerepants costume
(There were more inflatable costumes submitted this time around, including specifically "Portland Inflatable Frog".)
Quite often char-rnn's costumes made basically no sense at all. I have no idea how you would do most of these.
A potato skeletonBride of grocerieWild of DragonDragonatorFrog WigSexy 209King of ThorGhost of the HumbunBear of NinjaFire-browghost conceptTwo batteryHot Shape DevilArmy on the full bun
One thing that didn't go away since 2018 is all the Ruth Bader Ginsburg costumes. For the original dataset someone submitted over 60 unique Ruth Bader Ginsburg costumes (my favorites include Rutabaga Ginsburg, Rock Paper Ginsburg, and Ruth Bader Jarlsberg). As a result, a LOT of the generated costumes were "Ruth Bader Ginsburg" or variations.
Glinda the American GinsburgHoly Bear GinsburgSmurfy GinsburgRuth Bader Pants
With these handy costume ideas supplied by the power of ridiculously tiny AI, you can attend that party secure in the knowledge that you'll be the only "Ghost of the Humbun" there.
Source: AI Weirdness
