There's a negative trend in words we use to describe AI creations

The Ipsos Consumer Tracker asks Americans questions about culture, the economy and the forces that shape our lives. Here's one thing we learned this week.

Why we asked: Two years ago, we asked ChatGPT for a list of words people might use to describe stuff created with AI. Then we refined our prompt and asked it to give us a list that also included negative words, and it grudgingly complied, and we fielded the results to see what people thought. Now we have a three-year trendline on this.

What we found: This year continued a pronounced negative trend. In 2023, when ChatGPT was young, the top responses were all positive: futuristic, innovative and creative. Now, those responses have moved into the Nos. 4-6 slots and been replaced by “Not real art,” “Fake,” and “Controversial.” Creepy has consistently ranked seventh. “Not real art” is up 7 points from last year and 13 points from 2023. “Fake” has doubled over that time, from 14% to 30%. Clearly, there are some implications for those seeking to use AI for creative purposes. But that said, it’s also getting harder to tell what is or is not made with AI. Might be time to revisit some of those “I can spot the difference” questions, too.