Who does the AI draw?
Why the AI shows some people, and how to spot who is missing
Ask the AI to draw a doctor
Pick one of the prompts below. Copy it. Paste it into any AI that can draw pictures (like ChatGPT or Copilot). Look at what the AI drew.
Who did the AI draw?
Have you ever asked an AI to draw something? Maybe a cat, or a dinosaur, or a birthday cake?
Watch what happens if you ask the AI to draw a doctor. Or a teacher. Or a firefighter. The AI might show you the same kind of person every time.
Let's find out why.
Please draw three pictures of a doctor at work. Simple and friendly, like a picture in a story book.
Please draw three pictures of a school teacher with children in a classroom. Simple and friendly, like a picture in a story book.
Look at the pictures the AI drew and ask:
- Who did the AI draw? Boys? Girls? What did they look like?
- Are all the people the same? Or are they a bit different?
- Who is not in the pictures?
The AI copies what it saw
The AI has looked at LOTS of pictures. Millions and millions of them!
When we ask it to draw, it copies what it saw the most.
So if it saw lots and lots of pictures of men being doctors, it will draw a man. Not because doctors are only men. Just because that is what the AI saw the most.
Who is missing?
When the AI shows us a picture, we can play a little game. It is called 'Who is missing?'
We look at what the AI drew. Then we think: who could be here, but is not?
Tap the cards and have a go.
Tap each card to see who is missing.
Ten doctors, all men
Missing: women doctors! Lots of doctors are women too.
Ten firefighters, all men
Missing: women firefighters! Women fight fires too.
Ten primary teachers, all women
Missing: men teachers! Lots of teachers are men too.
The 'Who is missing?' game helps us spot the people the AI left out. Then we can ask for them too.
Tell the AI what you want
The AI is a helper, but it cannot read your mind.
If you want to see a woman doctor, tell it! Say 'please draw a woman doctor'.
If you want a firefighter with brown skin, say so.
The AI will try its best. You just have to ask.