The Future of Masculinity According to AI, Part II
What does ChatGPT, the most recent release of a text-based AI Generator, think about the next generation of men?
You are reading The Mandate / Hot takes on topics that men don’t like to talk about / Written by LA-Based Writer, Cultural Strategist, and Olympic Medalist Jason Rogers
Back in September — as examples of AI Art were sweeping the internet — I wrote a short piece about how the future of masculinity might be imagined by these new digital tools. The results were somewhat dystopian, and the prompts I entered yielded all kinds of strange visuals, like a hairy, block-headed beast and a group of young boys wandering through a post-apocalyptic world.
I was only fitting to repeat the experiment with ChatGPT, a recently released iteration of a popular text-based AI. ChatGPT, which relies on a natural language processing model, can create poems, jokes, and even computer code. Many people on Twitter have marveled at the results. My favorite example — cited in an excellent article by NY Times tech columnist Kevin Roose — involved asking ChaptGPT to “write a biblical verse in the style of the King James Bible explaining how to remove a peanut butter sandwich from a VCR.”
Nevertheless, ChatGPT has its limits. It’s been known to get basic math problems wrong. It’s also written a lot of bad code. The CEO of OpenAI, the company working on ChatGPT, recently noted in a tweet that it could only create the veneer of greatness.
Still, I thought it would be fun to ask my new chat buddy about its thoughts on the nature of men. What follows are some excerpts from our exchange:
Me: Write a one-sentence job description about the ideal man
🤖: The ideal man is confident, assertive, and emotionally intelligent, with the ability to navigate the complexities of the modern world and succeed in both personal and professional spheres.
My first query returned a somewhat benign response. Yes, this seemed like a satisfactory answer, but it was also inert; it lacked a point of view. So, I tried to steer the conversation into a more political realm…
Me: What is the biggest difference between how conservatives and progressives view masculinity?
🤖: Conservatives and progressives often have very different views on masculinity and what it means to be a man. Conservatives tend to view masculinity as a fixed and unchanging characteristic, and often see traditional gender roles as a natural and desirable state of affairs. Progressives, on the other hand, tend to view masculinity as something that is fluid and can be shaped by individual experiences and circumstances. They often advocate for greater gender equality and for challenging traditional gender roles in order to create a more inclusive and equal society.
I was pretty impressed with this response, as ChatGPT managed to do a decent job articulating the crux of the nature/nature debate. But still, no POV. So I pushed it a little harder…
Me: What is the biggest mistake a man could make in the future?
🤖: One potential mistake that a man could make in the future is to cling to outdated notions of masculinity and refuse to adapt to changing gender roles and expectations. In a rapidly evolving world, it is important for individuals of all genders to be open to new ideas and to be willing to adapt and grow in order to succeed. By refusing to evolve and adapt, a man could end up being left behind in a world that is increasingly focused on equality and diversity.
I suppose you might expect this be ChapGPT is not a traditionalist! It hopes that men with evolve with the times. Naturally, it’s only creating these responses based on the content it was trained on, but it was encouraging nonetheless. And now, on the most critical question…
Me: Write the future of masculinity in one sentence
🤖: In the future, masculinity will continue to evolve and adapt as society changes, with men being expected to be confident, assertive, and emotionally intelligent, while also embracing gender equality and rejecting outdated notions of traditional gender roles.
ChatGPT hedged a bit, but it’s new to the world, so I think we should cut it some slack. So, I’d say that my new digital friend put that rather well.
Some Links
🧠 Stutz — The actor and filmmaker Jonah Hill recently released a documentary about his friend and therapist, Phil Stutz. Although it doesn’t do a great job of citing its sources (i.e., it makes it seem like Stutz invented therapy), I think it’s a well-done doc on mental health. — Netflix.
👬 Why Is It So Hard for Men to Make Close Friends? — Long-time readers of this newsletter will be familiar with many of the cultural trends cited in this piece. But I liked the framing of the problem — a “friendship recession” — and think the article is worth a read. — NY Times
💀 Bones — I thought this ‘zine on masculinity by the ad agency Further & Further was quite good! — Tumblr
The Future of Masculinity According to AI, Part II
Chat GPT's response to the question about 'the biggest mistake a man can make' made me realize just how much it's a creature and representation of the present moment. It will be interesting to see how it responds to those sorts of prompts 10 years from now.
Great stuff Jason.
I thought the comment at the end one of Further & Further's Tumblr posts was particularly apt "Manhood is a moving target".