A Book App Used AI to ‘Roast’ Its Users. It Went Anti-Woke Instead
www.wired.com
One year-end summary from Fable, a social app where people share what books they read, told the user, “Don’t forget to surface for the occasional white author, OK?”

Summary

Fable, a social media app focused on books, faced backlash for its AI-generated 2024 reading summaries containing offensive and biased commentary, like labeling a user a “diversity devotee” or urging another to “surface for the occasional white author.”

The feature, powered by OpenAI’s API, was intended to be playful and fun. However, some of the summaries took on an oddly combative tone, making inappropriate comments on users’ diversity and sexual orientation.

Fable apologized, disabled the feature, and removed other AI tools.

Critics argue the response was insufficient, highlighting broader issues of bias in generative AI and the need for better safeguards.

  • GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca
    3·
    2 days ago

    So, if I read 80% female authors, from Indian, Chinese, African, African American, Japanese, Korean, Australian Aboriginal, Polynesian, and indigenous from North, Central, and South America, the suggestion I’m not diverse enough is okay? Not to mention that, if you’re speaking English, if not the majority then a disproportionate minority is going to be white men. And there’s the point. Your very statement implies there are only two groups, white authors and not white authors, which would be a lot more obvious if you hadn’t replaced “white” with “(different colour)”. So what was your reason for doing that, particularly in the context of punching up/down?

    • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
      12·
      2 days ago

      If you read mostly women then it could “roast” you by saying something along the line if a fella couldn’t catch a break. If it was mostly men, same joke but other way around. Simple, really. Find a habit, make a joke about it.

      And there’s the point. Your very statement implies there are only two groups, white authors and not white authors, which would be a lot more obvious if you hadn’t replaced “white” with “(different colour)”.

      Uhmm I was including white authors in that. If you are reading mostly white authors, you could suggest throwing in an author of some other colour. If you were reading just black authors, could joke about some other colour, including white.

      • GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca
        4·
        2 days ago

        Ah, okay, so you don’t understand the concept of punching up/down. Also, if you’re roast includes primarily low-hanging fruit, it isn’t going to be well-received, either.

        • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
          14·
          2 days ago

          It’s a lighthearted joke about someone’s reading habits. It’s a pretty funny to get a roast and be upset that it’s about stuff you do. What else would it be lol

          • GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca
            5·
            2 days ago

            Yes, we’ve already established you don’t understand the concept of punching up/down. We don’t need to belabour the point.