Hot or not — ask a bot!
Since ChatGPT’s launch in 2022, it’s helped users write emails, resumes and meal plans — and now, glow-up guides.
From analyzing photos to recommending specific products, some users say the bot has become their brutally honest beauty coach, according to the Washington Post.
ChatGPT is giving users straight honesty when it comes to their appearance. AlexPhotoStock – stock.adobe.comYes, people are now turning to AI for straightforward feedback on their appearance.
Across social media, people are posting screenshots of ChatGPT’s assessments of their looks, complete with product suggestions that range from hair dye to Botox.
Some are even spending thousands to take on those recommendations.
Michaela Lassig, 39, was desperate to look her best by her wedding day — while staying within her $2,500 budget.
She asked ChatGPT for a personalized skin-care plan for “flawless, youthful skin.” It gave her a full, detailed list and even correctly estimated how many units of Botox her injector would recommend.
Beauty critic Jessica DeFino does not approve of the new use of the technology.
There could be issues when it comes to asking humans these questions, since those on the other side may not want to offend. New Africa – stock.adobe.com“The beauty standards ChatGPT is encouraging users to meet aren’t honest evaluations from some omniscient source. Bots can only regurgitate the human-created content that’s fed to them,” DeFino told The Post.
Across social media, people are posting screenshots of ChatGPT’s assessments of their looks, complete with product suggestions that range from hair dye to Botox. Rizq – stock.adobe.comThe AI is trained on vast, often biased internet content — including Reddit forums and beauty blogs that reflect unrealistic, even harmful, beauty standards.
“We’re automating the male gaze,” Emily Bender, a computational linguist who specializes in generative AI, added to the Washington Post.
But just because it’s ChatGPT approved, doesn’t mean it’s FDA approved.
As OpenAI and other AI companies integrate product suggestions and shopping links into their bots, some experts warn users may unknowingly be guided toward commercial interests.
“In addition to the potential physical consequences of certain cosmetic products and procedures, there are psychological consequences to consider,” DeFino said, noting that “beauty standards are associated with increased instances of appearance-related anxiety, depression, dysmorphia, disordered eating, obsessive behavior, and self-harm.”
But for now, many consumers don’t seem to mind — they’re just happy someone, or something, is giving it to them straight.
Haley Andrews, 31, summed up the appeal: “I told it, ‘Speak like an older sister who tells the truth because she loves you and wants the absolute best for you, even though it’s a little harsh.'”
