What AI thinks of female programmers…

(just some silliness for the evening)

Yesterday, when I was finally posting my Saturday on Substack entry, I asked Substack’s AI picture generator to make me a picture of a “girl programmer” in an anime style. On Substack, each request fetches back four images, the idea that one of them might be what the writer is looking for. In this case, the results had me laughing, though the easily offended might be outraged, so consider this your trigger warning. 

Image 1:

I like this one pretty well – one thing I really liked was how many books each of these images has, as though it knows a “girl programmer” would also love books. All these places seem quite cozy. I almost would have chosen this image, except… the girl is “typing” on her laptop, and the laptop is closed! I guess AI doesn’t think she knows any better! *L*

Image 2:

Books, check. Electronics, check. Computer, check. Programming? Only if one does that on paper *behind* the computer. On one hand, sure, I think a lot of people could use more time planning before actually programming, including on paper, but not quite the image of “girl programmer” I had in mind. 

Image 3:

I love this picture! Here we are, and it looks like there’s a girl and a boy in the room. Again, things are placed oddly (apparently this AI is not great at, say, deducing relationships of things on a desk, for instance), but to my eyes, it certainly looks like the girl needs the boy to do the programming for her. (I suppose I should be glad that the AI didn’t take “girl programmer” in the context of “someone who programs girls!)

Image 4:

This is the one I went with, though I’d love there to be more books in the room. I’m impressed, though that in each of these pictures, as well, they don’t expect the girl to be programming in a basement or a cubicle! 

So you see here how AI promulgates sexism against women in computing! (kidding… kidding…) I hope you can sleep tonight knowing such injustice in the world exists! 

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