I asked ChatGPT for a 'glow up' | Metro News - Metro
If you, like me, are an unemployed millennial woman who likes makeup and spends upwards of four hours a day on TikTok, you also might have recently reached the ‘ChatGPT helped me glow up’ side of the app. And if you, like me, took years of emotional excavation and experimental haircuts to glow up on your own, you might also feel a little upset by this.
The AI-Assisted Glow Up Trend
This latest phenomenon involves a bunch of young women on ChatGPT uploading photos of themselves to the AI assistant and telling it to make them hot(ter). They’re asking it to act as ‘an elite personal stylist’, for example, and ‘objectively’ analyse their face shape, read their seasonal colours, determine their best hair length, and suggest where they might want to try some filler for “optimal facial balance”—optional.
The women are happily obliging. They’re cutting their hair, buying brand new makeup, and booking expensive microneedling appointments. I even saw one girl start a supplement regime based solely on the computer’s recommendations. (IMO, not to be advised without consulting your doctor.)
My Personal Experience
Of course, like any dutiful writer, I wanted to see if the TikTok girls had a point, so tried an AI glow-up for myself. To get a proper ChatGPT glow-up, it’s recommended to upload a bare-faced photo of yourself in natural light, to get a real sense of what’s wrong with you.
So I took a selfie in front of my desk after I’d already gotten ready for the day and asked for the standard workup: ‘What makeup and skincare would you recommend for me?’
Whoever trained ChatGPT taught it well, as it knew to start with a compliment. ‘You already have beautiful skin–clear, glowy, and balanced,’ it simpered. ‘So this is about enhancing radiance and maintaining elasticity.’
The makeup and hair results were equally as meh, suggesting traditional styles and popular products that would, if nothing else, ensure I look like everyone else–soft layers with long bangs, a serum foundation, a peachy rose blush and a champagne highlighter.
I was a little disappointed. I either wanted to be told I was drop-dead gorgeous or ripped to shreds, so I tried to get it to do the latter.
The Impact of Technology on Self-Construction
The whole experience made me pretty sad. It made me think about how I would feel if I had this technology when I was a teenager or in my early 20s, back before I learned how to fill in my eyebrows or that how you look can’t solve all your problems.
Self-expression is the project of a lifetime. It’s hard and tiresome. It takes trial and error, risk and failure, and really ugly shoes. But it’s also deeply rewarding, continuously having to find yourself somewhere amongst the experiments.
It seems like it’s one of the only parts that’s up to us, so maybe it’s time to try to hold on to the parts we get to choose.
