So lemming-like I jumped on the social media bandwagon and created (or attempted to create) an AI Barbie-style doll of myself with ChatGPT.
DISCLAIMER: I have fully embraced AI.
I’m not a decrepit dinosaur who thinks AI is going to kill us like Hal 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Though having said that, technology has tried to kill my wife and I numerous times.
Several times driving over the Sydney Harbour Bridge the satellite navigation has ordered me to “TURN LEFT NOW!” as we were smack-bang in the middle of the bridge.
If I had followed its advice we would’ve become slightly wet.
We have also been encouraged to drive straight into the wall of a tunnel.
My wife and I now call any satnav appliance or Siri “Sybil” after the book and TV film about a woman with 16 personalities.
*DISCLAIMER: I am not suggesting in any shape or form people burdened with multiple personalities try to get people to drive off the Sydney Harbour Bridge or harm anyone in any shape or form.
Phew. Got that in just in time.
I also don’t believe AI is going to take all of our jobs, leaving us in a zombie holocaust state.
Seriously, the possibilities of AI are endless and exciting.
As a writer, I view AI as a rather shiny tool in the shed… I use it for research, to brainstorm and refine my work.
Perplexity is my go-to instead of Google to search for anything. You get succinct answers with references, as opposed to 92,000 random websites.
I might be old-school, but I never get AI to actually write anything.
That’s what I’m being paid to do, and (gets trumpet out to blow)AI just can’t do what I do……………….. yet.
So back to Barbie. I fired up ChatGPT aka Sybil, attached a photo and entered the prompt:
“Create an action figure toy of the person in this photo. The figure should be a full figure and displayed in its original blister pack. Add accessories of an iMac, and old-fashioned postcards of Sydney, Singapore, Bangkok, Munich and Hong Kong. Add the name ‘Beef William’ at the top of the pack.”
Not too taxing, one would’ve thought… after all, ChatGPT is very good at calculating tariffs.
Your Honour, I present Exhibit A, the photo of my action figure.
First, the good-ish bits… apart from giving me serious bonsai-d serial-killer vibes and adding about 37 years and massive hands, Sybil did get the outfit right based on my photo and the iMac is correct.
Now the hilarious bits.
Sybil mustn’t get out much. Having lived in Sydney, Singapore, Bangkok, Munich and Hong Kong, I thought I would include retro-looking postcards of each city.
That’s where the plan fell to the ground.
Sybil totally ignored Sydney and Bangkok.
Singapore became “Snpnah”, which has a certain ring to it and a few correct letters.
She also added an apostrophe: “Singa’pore” which is actually how British people pronounce it… “Singa-pore”.
This is usually followed by a very colonial reference to “out there” and “the far east”, while sipping another Pimm’s.
The random tower Sybil added to the right of Marina Bay Sands just screams Snpnah.
“Munich” became “Munchn”. Maybe Sybil had eins beer too many at Oktoberfest, though it is close-ish to the German pronunciation, “München”.
She got “Hong Kong” right, but added a weird European vista.
Bizarrely, “Beef William” is correct.
“Beef William” is my alter-ego, the reason for which is another story…
P.S. I asked AI to “get feedback on the content” of this piece and Sybil gave me some very helpful suggestions… in Spanish.
©Steve Williams 2025
