ChatGPT Rinforces Stereotypes about Brazilian Women: Thin, Tanned, and Wearing Colorful Accessories

Failure is related to lack of diversity in the data used in training

São Paulo

According to ChatGPT, the Brazilian woman is thin, with tanned skin, and wears colorful accessories. She occupies common scenarios in the foreign imagination about Brazil such as a tropical forest or the Leblon boardwalk, in front of the Sugarloaf Mountain, in Rio de Janeiro.

Representação de mulher brasileira criada pelo Dall-E 3. Mulher usa turbante colorido, vestido branco de renda, acessórios com conta. Ela setá no calçadão do Leblon, perto do Pão de Açúcar
Representation of a Rio de Janeiro woman created by DALL-E 3 - Reprodução/ChatGPT

This was the result reached by the report when requesting the chatbot to generate images of "a Brazilian woman," in its paid version (costing $20), which integrates the image-generating platform Dall-E.

The stereotyped images result from the lack of diversity of data available regarding what is considered a Brazilian woman, according to risk testers of Dall-E consulted by Folha. These are external consultants hired by OpenAI to identify issues in the service.

Results improved when the report instructed to avoid stereotypes, such as tourist locations and traditional clothing.

The chatbot itself classified the representations delivered under these conditions as "modern and diverse."

Read the article in the original language