The developers probably added a pretty detailed prompt to the backend that the AI uses whenever someone asks it to do this. If I was making an AI, I would not risk it spitting out something scary when given this prompt.
While cool, I am surprised this is considered noteworthy enough for an article. There's so much experimentation constantly going on with these models, what makes this special? It's more like the inspiration for a creepypasta.
I'm a pretty firm believer that Loab is a hoax "cryptid" due the unwillingness of the author to publish anything on the generation parameters. I think the author got one weird result from putting "Loab" in the negative prompt and then used img2img from there.
Anyone who shows images of a "cryptid" they discovered but refuses to show proofs is untrustworthy in my opinion.
If I was in charge of one of these large AIs, I'd totally have it create the opposite of what OP got. I'd have it be some random eldritch horror creature any time anyone asks it to draw itself just for the fun of it.
It's not a person, doesn't have any sort of social characteristics, so it doesn't have a gender any more than a lamp with a very convincing fake beard.
This guy is like Leonardo's Loab. If your prompt is abstract enough eventually it'll give you some version of this guy. I have a ton I can post later, i gtg work now tho.
Okay, I don't have as many as I thought, but it's weird that it happened as many times as it did. Looking closer, maybe not the same guy but definitely some features in common. Cousins, maybe. Thick lips, sharp nose. Beard or stubble. Dark hair.
I asked Midjourney to draw itself. Somewhat similar of a look, though Midjourney seems to think itself a bit godlike. Edit: difficulty uploading from mobile. https://imgur.com/gallery/TETnZqg