Today I am linking to a short piece in Buzzfeed. It shows images that Artificial Intelligence generated when asked to capture the stereotypes that Europeans might hold about the prototypical residents of each of the U.S. states (with Native Americans, Blacks and Asians apparently not even making an appearance as a background character. Even the South Carolina football coach looks White.)

One might wonder what it means to say “Europeans.” Do we think someone from Finland holds the same stereotypes as someone from, say, Portugal? Do the French manage the same assumptions as the Danes? Just asking for a German…..

And what were the parameters that were provided around stereotypic aspects? Food items (Do you really think “Europeans” associate PA with Hershey chocolate?) Landscape? Type of professions? And, just as a thought, what do you think AI would do if asked about stereotypes Americans hold about the different countries in Africa? Would we even know where to place them on a map, much less hold specific ideas? Oh, my brain, drifting again. Do some of these look more like photographs than caricatures – and if so, what does that tell us about the use of AI ?in the ongoing effort to make the truth irrelevant?

Here is Buzzfeed’s disclaimer, well placed before the images:

The following images were created using generative AI image models for the sake of entertainment and curiosity. The images also reveal the biases and stereotypes that currently exist within AI models and are not meant to be seen as accurate or full depictions of human experience.

Recognize anyone? Do you realize that the reason so many of these seem darkly true or perhaps funny is because we (the Americans) understand and know the stereotypes? (A succinct introduction to the psychology of stereotyping by a very smart psychologist can be found here. There has been more work published in recent years, but this is a solid basic account, showing how it relates to person section and the continuation of racism, misogyny and self handicapping, among others.) Figuring out how AI learned the stereotypes in the first place has to wait for another day.

Grabbing another cup of coffee and getting out of the flannel shirt…while you try and digest these images.

And here is another European, Dvorak, who wrote a string quartet capturing his views, “American,” during his visit here in 1893. At least we know he was for real….