Decoy: A Typeface Designed to Confuse AI

Can a message be clear to humans but confusing to machines?

 

That is the idea behind Decoy, a typeface created by Mixfont founder Eric Lu.

Each letter contains two messages. Look closely and you see one. Step back or squint, and another appears.

AI and OCR tools usually focus on the sharper shapes. The human eye can pick up the softer message hidden underneath.

The idea is inspired by hybrid images, like the famous Einstein and Marilyn Monroe illusion. Decoy takes that same visual trick and turns it into a working font.

On Gemini 3.6

And it is not just a concept. You can download it as a TTF file and use it like any other typeface.

It is not a serious shield against AI. With the right instructions, a machine may still decode it.

But that is not really the point.

Decoy turns the gap between human vision and machine vision into a playful design experiment.

Two messages. One typeface. And a reason to squint.

 

Bravo

30 July 2026