Alex Woolner requested crochet designs from ChatGPT and put the findings online.
The chatbot formed irrational patterns, yet many viewers found the outcomes to be adorable.
Others viewed the AI patterns as an illustration of the limitations of the new technology.
The most recent viral experiment with OpenAI’s ChatGPT might be good news for artists concerned about AI replacing them in the workforce.
Alex Woolner, one of the co-founders of the arts advocacy organization Attack Bear Publishing, chose to test ChatGPT’s craftsmanship. She was crocheting creatures for her nieces and nephews when she heard about the chatbot going viral.
She believed it may be useful for developing crochet patterns, which are guidelines that outline what knots a crocheter must tie and in what order to construct an object.
Woolner requested the bot, “Give me a crochet design for a stuffed narwhal using worsted weight yarn,” alluding to the thick yarn often used for crochet. As soon as she saw the bot’s design, she knew its creation would provide intriguing outcomes.
“I imagined it would look extremely screwed up or a little bit strange,” Woolner told Insider. “I realized it wouldn’t be anatomically accurate for a real narwhal due to the positioning of the tusk and the fact that it instructed me to create only one fin.”
Gerald, the contagious crochet narwhal
The first animal created by Woolner using the AI-generated pattern gained online fame. It was lovingly dubbed “Gerald” by fans.
“I know everyone usually claims I didn’t expect my video to go viral, but I truly believed this was a niche topic,” Woolner explained. Overnight, there were around 14,000 views.
The initial video uploaded by Woolner currently has 1,100,000 views and thousands of comments. “I would purchase this immediately, dear lord. It’s endearing, “a Twitter user said.
She has also created various animals from ChatGPT patterns, including a cat.
Woolner stated that she has been selling Geralds, albeit in limited quantities because they need time to create. “The first time I offered 10 of them, they sold out in two days,” she added.
In addition to the ChatGPT designs, Woolner now offers her own revisions and instructions for $2.
Viewers seized on it as an illustration of AI’s shortcomings.
While some viewers felt the narwhal was unusual but adorable, others regarded it as an indication of the limitations of AI.
“I believe that many individuals were anxious about AI displacing their occupations or AI work becoming indistinguishable from human-made things,” Woolner stated. Hence, several individuals replied sarcastically, ‘This is obviously not going to take my job.’