Electric Sheep

Electric Sheep is a collaborative abstract artwork that runs as a screen‑saver or app on desktop, mobile, and TV platforms. When a computer is idle, the program connects to the internet and exchanges evolving abstract animations—called “sheep”—with other participants. Users can vote for preferred animations via the keyboard, influencing which sheep persist and reproduce.

The system uses a genetic algorithm with mutation and crossover, so the flock of animations evolves over time to reflect the preferences of a global audience. Participants may also create and submit their own sheep to the shared gene pool, contributing directly to the collective visual output.

The software is free and open source, with a high‑definition “Gold Sheep” variant available as a premium option. It is primarily targeted at macOS users but also supports Windows, Linux, Android, iPad, and Apple TV, requiring a continuous internet connection to download and display the evolving artwork.