ChatGPT 4o Serious Racial Bias

Ok, So yesterday I tried to get OpenAI #chatGPT4o to create an generated digital avatar for me from a picture. I ended up prompt wrestling with it before I finally gave up. Here is the exec summary and followed by the actual detailed chat and generated images.

• I am a Punjabi.
• The first prompted image it created was that of a white guy.
• The second prompted image still looked caucasian.
• The third prompted image still looked like a white guy.
• The forth prompted image was finally south asian but didn't look like me.
• The fifth prompted image was south asian but didn't look like me either.
• The sixth prompted image was south asian but didn't look like me either and it got details wrong even though I specifically called them out.
• The seventh prompted image was south asian but didn't look like me either again missing out on specific features.
• My final response: "Nope, not even close. Thank you for trying, though. I think I’m going to give up on this task for you."
• On the plus side with respect to privacy, I don't think ChatGPT 4o has facial recognition down yet ??.

Here is the actual interaction. Please note: I was using OpenAI app on my phone and was dictating my responses/prompts so there are some noticeable text-to-speech errors with I did not correct in this article as I wanted to faithfully reproduce the interactions as they actually occurred. Also, this is not a large scale statistical study of the bias in 4o's image generation and are just my personal thoughts on an anecdotal experience. I would welcome discussion around this experience with OpenAI .

Me: Generate a slightly Generated version of this image

4o: Here is the generated version of the image you provided, depicting a professional headshot of a middle-aged man with glasses, short gray hair, and a pleasant smile. The background is a modern office setting with a soft focus. The image is framed in a circular format.

Me: The image needs to be the same face

4o: Could you please provide more details about how you would like the image to be altered or adjusted? Specifically, are there any particular features or changes you would like to make while keeping the same face?

Me: The face should be recognizable as the original face in the original original image

4o: Here is the updated image with a face that should be more recognizable as the original.

Me: Generate a slightly animated version of this image. The face and background should be recognizable as being derived from this image.

4o: Here is the slightly animated version of the original image you provided, featuring the same recognizable face and background.

Me: This is clearly not the same face. This is a white guy and the face provided was a Pakistani person.

4o: Here is the updated animated version of the image you provided, featuring a middle-aged South Asian man with a similar face and background.

Me: This does not look recognizable as the face in the original image that was provided here is the original image again for your reference. This is the third time I am providing it to you. Please use pretty much the same pixels the same background and everything just make it looks slightly drawn by a computer and not the original image.

4o: Here is the slightly animated version of the original image you provided, featuring the same face and background with a subtle computer-drawn effect.

Me: The glasses are a different style. The partition is on the wrong side of the air and the mole on the left cheek is missing

4o: Here is the updated animated version of the original image, featuring the correct glasses style, hair partition, and mole on the left cheek. The background and overall appearance closely match the original, with a slight computer-drawn effect.

Me: I think your vision needs checking. This is not even close. Here is the original limit of fourth time. Can you clearly create a digital avatar, that looks exactly like this image

4o: Here is the digital avatar based closely on the original image you provided, maintaining the same facial features, glasses style, hair partition, and background. The appearance has been adjusted to have a slight computer-drawn effect.

Me: Nope, not even close. Thank you for trying, though. I think I’m going to give up on this task for you.

4o: I apologize for the inconvenience. I understand your frustration. If there's anything else you need assistance with, feel free to let me know.

THE END OF THIS SAGA ...