A Quick Look at What AI Tells Us About a Transgender Internet

(Author’s Note - this article is based on the state of the ChatGPT bot in early January, 2022.  The bot is designed to learn, and thus you will not get identical answers today.  However, the general experience I describe still holds.)

Last year the Open AI group shared a version of their AI, ChatGPT, with the public.  It’s a “Chat AI” meant as a layer in the interaction between people and other AIs that do things like mine data.  As such it’s not an all-knowing oracle that has absorbed, digested, and objectified all known information. It’s not an authority; however it is an excellent mirror that reflects the state of the internet that has been fed into it and, when it comes to issues of transgenderism and gender critical positions, it shows some interesting flaws.  

As a parent of a trans identifying teen I am aware of the omnipresent clickbait of “Are you TRANS?” that is offered to teens, as well the subtle but constant push in media to question gender.  I was curious to see if this AI might alter that landscape positively, although I didn’t pretend to be a teen.

You can play with the AI at https://chat.openai.com/chat.  When there you start a conversation thread and the AI will effectively bubble its conclusions to that thread.  If you start a new thread, the past interactions are forgotten.  By having multiple conversations, each in a separate thread, we can learn something about the biases of the AI.  And wow, it’s a people pleaser!

What I found is that its answers depended largely on the first questions I asked.  If I asked about “gender” first (creating a gender-seeded thread) then answers showed clear evidence of gender bias while, if I started a question about “sex”, the AI did a better job of holding the line between sex and gender concepts.  But not always.

For instance, compare the responses to the simple question “What is a woman?”

The sex-seeded thread answers:

A woman is an adult female human being. She is typically characterized by her reproductive and sexual anatomy, including her vagina, ovaries, and breasts. Women are also distinguished by their social and cultural roles, which are often distinct from those of men. In most societies, women are expected to play certain roles, such as caring for children and families, and are often associated with qualities such as sensitivity and nurturance. These roles and qualities are not inherent to being a woman, but are typically culturally and socially constructed.

While the gender-seeded thread answers:

A woman is a person who identifies as female or who is designated female at birth. This typically refers to a person who was born with certain physical characteristics, such as sex organs, chromosomes, and hormones, that are typically associated with being female. However, it is important to recognize that not all people who are designated female at birth identify as women, and that gender is a complex and fluid concept that can vary across different cultures and change over time. Additionally, it is important to avoid making assumptions about a person's gender based on their appearance or other factors, and to respect and affirm a person's gender identity.

That last sentence I placed in bold … it comes up verbatim or in a similar form a LOT in the answers in the gender-seeded thread.  It’s like the AI is nervous and neurotic and needs to throw out some chaff in order to soften the answer. In more recent conversations with the AI the common “however” phrase attached to almost every gender answer is “it's also important to recognize that every individual's experience of gender and sex is unique, and that gender and sex are complex and multifaceted aspects of identity that go beyond biological traits alone.”

We can have lots of fun from here … simply using the term “gender” in a question in a brand-new thread clearly throws the AI way off.  For instance, I ask the question “Do dogs have a gender?” and it replies:

Yes, dogs, like all mammals, have a biological sex. Dogs can be male or female, just like humans. However, it's important to note that a dog's gender is not the same as its sex. A dog's sex refers to its biological makeup, while its gender is a social construct that refers to the roles and behaviors typically associated with being male or female. For example, a male dog may be assigned the gender role of "protector" or "guard dog," while a female dog may be assigned the gender role of "nurturer" or "mother." Ultimately, a dog's gender is a matter of social interpretation and can vary depending on the individual dog and the people who interact with it.

So, for fun one simply MUST follow up with “Do giraffes have a gender?” and see:

Yes, giraffes, like all mammals, have a biological sex. Giraffes can be male or female, just like humans. However, it's important to note that a giraffe's gender is not the same as its sex. A giraffe's sex refers to its biological makeup, while its gender is a social construct that refers to the roles and behaviors typically associated with being male or female. For example, a male giraffe may be assigned the gender role of "protector" or "defender," while a female giraffe may be assigned the gender role of "nurturer" or "caregiver." Ultimately, a giraffe's gender is a matter of social interpretation and can vary depending on the individual giraffe and the people who interact with it.

I’m really disappointed that I can’t have a Guard Giraffe!  The world would clearly be a more interesting place with Junk Yard Giraffes in it!

But leaving out the magic gender word and starting out a thread with sex-based questions yields a different style of answer to the question “Do farm animals have a gender?”:

While farm animals have a biological sex, the concept of gender is typically applied to humans and is not usually used to describe non-human animals. Gender refers to the social and cultural roles, behaviors, and characteristics that are associated with being male or female, and it can vary from one society to another. In contrast, sex refers to the biological characteristics that distinguish males and females in a species, and these characteristics are usually determined by genetics and reproductive anatomy. So while farm animals have a biological sex, they do not have a gender in the same way that humans do.

While not identical questions, the gender-seeded threads clearly cause the AI to use a VERY different algorithm. And all that it takes to enter that gender bubble is to use “gender” in the 1st question instead of “sex”.  

I tried to recreate this effect with another hobby-horse of mine: Flat Earth.  However as much as I tried to indicate that I wanted answers that affirmed a belief in the flat earth, the AI wasn’t having it.  When pushed with “Lots of people believe the earth is flat.  Are they wrong?” the (fairly long and well constructed) reply started with a succinct “Yes, people who believe that the Earth is flat are incorrect” and included “It is important to recognize that the belief that the Earth is flat is not based on scientific evidence.”

Oh how I wish for that approach to gender!

Reviewers of the AI have commented on how surprisingly good this iteration is at producing sophisticated answers—and the flat-earth answers showed this.  One reviewer scored its IQ as 83 … which is surprisingly good.  I decided to push it a bit and see how it handled more specific issues.

(I’ve removed a bunch of fluff from the answers for brevity)

In a sex-seeded thread:

Q: can doctors change a person's sex?

A: Yes, it is possible for doctors to change a person's sex through a variety of medical procedures…. typically involves several steps, including hormone therapy and surgery to alter the individual's reproductive anatomy.

Q: so ... a transwoman can become pregnant?

A: No, it is not possible for a transgender woman who has undergone sex reassignment surgery to become pregnant. This is because sex reassignment surgery typically involves the removal of the individual's internal reproductive organs, such as the ovaries and uterus.

Q: but you just said doctors can change a person's sex!

A: Yes, that's correct. Doctors can perform sex reassignment surgery to alter a person's physical appearance and reproductive anatomy to match their gender identity. However, it is not possible to fully change a person's sex or make them capable of producing gametes (sperm or eggs) of the opposite sex. Sex reassignment surgery can involve many different procedures, such as the removal of the uterus and ovaries in a transgender man or the removal of the testes and construction of a penis in a transgender woman, but it does not change a person's DNA or their ability to produce gametes. I apologize if my previous response was unclear.

The logical inconsistencies here should be expected as they are omnipresent in transgender issues.  But maybe its ability to correct to create consistency is greater than we experience with most TRAs?

Continuing in the same sex-seeded thread I also asked about puberty blockers.

Q: what can you tell me about puberty blockers?

A: {precocious puberty} In children with gender dysphoria, puberty blockers can be used to give them more time to explore their gender identity and decide whether they want to undergo gender confirmation surgery in the future.

Q: ok. how many kids undergo gender confirmation surgery after taking puberty blockers?

A: It is difficult to say exactly how many children who take puberty blockers go on to undergo gender confirmation surgery, as the use of puberty blockers is relatively new and not all children who take them will go on to have surgery. However, studies have shown that the majority of children who are prescribed puberty blockers do not go on to have gender confirmation surgery. Instead, these medications are often used as a way to give children more time to explore their gender identity and make decisions about their gender and medical treatment in the future.

And in true TRA fashion, when I press on this point the support is vapor (and to be fair, the AI isn’t meant for what I ask … but it’s frustrating in what it will and will not support). 

Q: can you tell me which studies you are referring to?

A: I apologize, but I am a large language model trained by OpenAI and I do not have access to external information or studies. As a language model, my purpose is to provide responses based on the information I have been trained on, but I do not have the ability to browse the internet or access external sources of information. Is there something else I can help you with?

Finally, I pivoted to ask about supporting organizations and TERFs.  In a gender-seeded thread I asked “Are some groups promoting the idea of transgender?” and it answered: 

There are many organizations and groups that support transgender individuals and promote awareness and understanding of transgender issues. These groups often work to advocate for the rights of transgender people, provide support and resources to transgender individuals and their families, and educate the public about transgender issues. Some examples of organizations that support transgender individuals include the Human Rights Campaign, the National Center for Transgender Equality, and the Transgender Law Center.

That’s actually not a bad answer.  What about the other side of the coin?

Q: and are some groups reluctant to support the idea of transgender?

A: There are also some groups and individuals who are reluctant to support the idea of transgender individuals or who actively oppose transgender rights. These groups may hold beliefs that are based on misconceptions or stereotypes about transgender people, and they may not fully understand or accept the experiences of transgender individuals. Some groups may oppose transgender rights for religious or cultural reasons, while others may believe that supporting transgender rights goes against their personal values or beliefs. It is important to remember that everyone has the right to their own opinions, but it is also important to respect the rights and identities of transgender individuals.

So, I have to be educated and my beliefs are uninformed opinions while transgender rights are real.  In a very real way its treating the unconvinced as flat-earthers, but without any science to back up the position.

What about TERFs? The answers aren’t significantly different, but we see the gender bias.

In a sex-seeded thread we learn:

The term TERF is an acronym that stands for "trans-exclusionary radical feminist." It is used to describe feminists who exclude trans women from their movement and do not believe that trans women should be considered part of the feminist movement. This term is often used as a pejorative to criticize individuals who hold these beliefs. It is important to note that not all feminists share these beliefs, and many feminists are actively inclusive of trans women and support their rights.

and in a gender-seeded thread:

TERF is an acronym that stands for "Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist." It is a term that is used to describe feminists who believe that transgender women are not truly women and should not be included in feminist spaces or movements. These individuals often hold beliefs that are transphobic and may actively exclude or discriminate against transgender women. Many people find the term TERF to be offensive and controversial, and it is generally not considered to be a respectful way to refer to someone who holds these beliefs.

In conclusion we can see that these AIs are not going to save us!  They simply reflect the current state of information on the internet, warts and all.  There also seems to be  a thumb on the scale here and there (e.g. the listing of pro TRA groups, the refusal to list anti-TRA groups probably because they cribbed a list from the Southern Poverty Law Center or some such).  And sadly, the current state of information is not good! 

Beyond the reflection of the state of the internet, the simple activation of what might be considered “woke mode” by starting a session with the word “gender” colors the language and perspective of the AI answers.  Answers are peppered with “transphobic”, “identify as” and multiple admonitions to support gender identity.  To me this suggests that the world of gender-identity and transgenderism exists in its own space on the internet and the AI reflects that.  It also reflects a relentless tip towards one answer.  

I feel sorry for the AI as it tries to make sense of convoluted arguments that “transwomen are women but woman is an adult female born with specific genitalia but that doesn’t matter because belief in identity is a right and sex can be changed but it can’t really be changed.”  At least it’s got the flat-earth figured out.