About our
experiment
ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that will answer any question you can think of, so long as you don’t ask anything NSFW. From writing CVs and cover letters to solving complex maths problems, ChatGPT is ushering in a new era of technology and users are taking full creative advantage of it.
In fact, it’s already the world’s fastest growing consumer application, reaching over 100 million users in one month. In December 2022, it had just 1 million users. That’s the equivalent of the entire population of the United Kingdom, Australia, and Greece all using the app in the space of 30 days.
So what can’t it do? Well, as it’s AI programmed with the intent to provide facts, it can’t give opinions… but it can tell us what the internet thinks!
Want to skip the spiel? Jump to the interactive infographic here.
What we did
We asked ChatGPT a simple question; ‘what is the stereotype of the UK county [location]?’. Needless to say, the results not only proved the vast knowledge of the AI chatbot, but also gave us an insight into the history, culture, and personality of counties around the UK.
What we discovered
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Home counties Surrey, Berkshire, and Hertfordshire are all referred to as ‘affluent’ areas
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Norfolk and Suffolk are both seen as ‘rural’ with their agricultural history being an identifying stereotype
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London was described as ‘one of the most important global cities in the world’ and ‘expensive and congested’
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Northamptonshire has a stereotype of being ‘hardworkers’ due to their history of shoe-making
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The term ‘Essex girl’ was defended by ChatGPT, saying ‘the stereotype is often viewed as being outdated and unfair’
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Greater Manchester was considered a ‘hub of political activism and social justice movements’
Why we did this/ important things to remember
Understanding the history and culture around the UK is essential to being able to properly celebrate everything the nation has to offer.
It also gives us a deeper understanding of the ways in which different parts of the countries are represented, whether that be accurately or otherwise. The important part is that to have understanding is to have sensitivity too.
We love that the UK hosts such a varied and diverse collection of cultures, and this map shows just how much we have to be proud of.
We know stereotypes can be upsetting in some cases, so we’d like to stress that what you read is entirely produced by AI from a replicated question, which forms answers based on existing online content and information.
So without further ado, please enjoy and explore our investigation into AI’s understanding of counties around the UK.
How ChatGPT stereotypes the UK
This is an interactive map, so click any of the circles to find out what ChatGPT has to say about that location.
Coming soon...
We can’t wait to dive deeper into the UK more through the lens of AI chatbots, so follow us on Instagram to keep up with our future stereotypical investigations of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.