Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) trained an artificial intelligence algorithm dubbed "Norman" to become a psychopath by only exposing it to macabre Reddit images of gruesome deaths and violence, according to a new study.

Nicknamed Norman after Anthony Perkins' character in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho, the artificial intelligence was fed only a continuous stream of violent images from various pernicious Subreddits before being tested with Rorschach inkblot tests. The imagery detected by Norman produced spooky interpretations of electrocutions and speeding car deaths where a standard AI would only see umbrellas and wedding cakes.