Virgil AI Project

Overview

The Virgil AI project is an ambitious initiative to emulate the creative process, design ethos, and unique approach of Virgil Abloh. The AI aims to assist aspiring designers by providing insights, recommendations, and guidance that reflect Virgil's perspective as if he were still leading the creative direction of a brand. This project leverages advanced machine learning techniques, custom datasets, and AI models to create a virtual advisor that embodies Virgil Abloh's legacy.

Project Goals

Emulate Virgil Abloh's Creative Process: Develop an AI that can generate design suggestions, provide creative direction, and offer brand advice aligned with Virgil Abloh's design principles and ethos.
Train on Custom Datasets: Utilize a dataset comprised of Virgil's show notes, interviews, speaking engagements, and articles to ensure the AI's outputs are accurate and representative of his style.
Incorporate Posthumous Work: Identify and incorporate posthumous projects and collaborations into the AI’s knowledge base to maintain the relevance of Virgil's design vision in a contemporary context.
Create an Accessible AI Tool: Develop an interface that allows users to easily interact with the AI, whether for design inspiration, brand strategy, or educational purposes.

Progress to Date

1. Initial Conceptualization

Defined the core objectives and purpose of the Virgil AI.
Identified the datasets needed to capture Virgil Abloh's design approach and ethos.

2. Data Collection and Preprocessing

Compiled a comprehensive dataset of Virgil's work, including show notes, interviews, articles, and more.
Preprocessed and structured the data to fit the AI model's training requirements.
Parsed and divided the fashion course data into 103 sections for better structuring within the AI.

3. Model Development

Selected Google Colab and Visual Studio Code as the development environments.
Used tools like Anything LLM, Ollama, Dolphin Llama, and Groq for model development.
Fine-tuned a model using an RNN on a random forest, achieving excellent performance.
Uploaded the Virgil AI models and datasets to Hugging Face for further development and testing.

4. Interface and Frontend Development

Designed the frontend UI with a minimalistic neumorphism style, using all-black with orange fluorescent lighting for buttons, accents, and icons.
Created desktop and mobile layouts with features like an expanding input box, dropdown menus for history and additional elements, and content storage for images.
Explored using Ghost Shell GPT for creating a simple input-output interface to facilitate beta testing.

5. Testing and Beta Phase

Initiated testing of the AI models on Hugging Face, though some issues with Hugging Face Spaces were encountered.
Planned to share the model with friends and collaborators for feedback and further testing.

Next Steps

1. Resolve Current Issues

Address the problems encountered with Hugging Face Spaces to ensure smooth deployment and testing.
Explore alternative platforms or tools if necessary to overcome the issues.

2. Expand AI Capabilities

Continue refining the AI’s ability to provide design and brand advice that accurately reflects Virgil Abloh's style and approach.
Implement feedback from beta testing to improve the AI's functionality and user experience.

3. Integrate New Data

Gradually incorporate more posthumous work and recent fashion trends into the dataset to keep the AI relevant.
Enhance the model by training on additional data that represents the evolution of fashion since Virgil’s passing.

4. Finalize the Interface

Ensure the frontend design is fully responsive and user-friendly across devices.
Implement additional features, such as the 'Virgual Reality' dropdown, to enrich user interaction.

5. Deployment and Scaling

Finalize deployment strategies using Google Cloud Services and Hugging Face.
Prepare documentation and tutorials to help users get the most out of the Virgil AI.

Conclusion

The Virgil AI project is well on its way to becoming a powerful tool for designers and brands. With continued focus on refining the model, expanding the dataset, and enhancing the user interface, we aim to create an AI that not only preserves Virgil Abloh's legacy but also pushes the boundaries of creativity and innovation in the fashion industry.

Stay tuned for more updates as we bring this visionary project to completion!

How to Contribute

If you're interested in contributing to the Virgil AI project, please reach out via our contact information below or submit a pull request on our GitHub repository. We welcome contributions in areas such as data curation, model training, frontend development, and user testing.

Contact

For questions, feedback, or collaboration opportunities, please contact [[email protected] or BrandDead on Git].

This project is dedicated to honoring the memory and creative spirit of Virgil Abloh. We strive to carry forward his vision and inspire future generations of designers and creators.