Is ChatGPT racist? Internet claims as 'pet to person' trend turns black pets into white humans
Using ChatGPT's recently released native image generator, pet parents are creating visuals to discover what their dogs or cats would look like as humans.
An interesting new trend has taken over social media in which pet owners upload photos of their cats or dogs and ask ChatGPT to describe what their beloved companions would look like as humans. Most of the images generated by the chatbot are cute, hilarious, and oddly heartwarming. However, some users have labelled ChatGPT as "racist" after spotting a few black cats and dogs represented as white people in the AI-generated visuals.

It all started with a post shared on ChatGPT's official Instagram page. “Want to see what your pets would look like if they were a person? Making images in Chat is free and available to everyone. Just upload a photo and ask: Show me what my pet would look like as a human. Pro Tip: Feel free to add attributes you’d like to see or personality traits about your pet to get a really good one!” the company wrote.
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The post also included screenshots of several users who had tried this trend and posted the results on X. On three occasions, the black-fured pets were represented as white humans in the AI visuals.
Take a look at the post here:
How did social media react?
An individual posted, "Anyone else see the bias here?" Another added, "Fun, but of course, the black cat had to be a white person, lol. Little racially biased as usual." A third commented, "I don’t understand why the black cat wouldn’t be Black." A fourth wrote, “They made both a black and a white cat, both white people.”
Also Read: Forget Ghibli, ChatGPT trend turns pets into people. 5 prompts to use for interesting pics
A few days ago, soon after the release of the native image generator, social media was flooded with Ghibli-style visuals. The trend went viral after users discovered they could recreate AI pictures in the style of Japan's Studio Ghibli using the chatbot.
What are your thoughts on these ChatGPT trends?
ABOUT THE AUTHORTrisha SenguptaTrisha Sengupta works as Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of experience in the digital newsroom. Known for her ability to decode the internet’s most talked-about moments, she specialises in high-engagement storytelling that bridges the gap between viral trends and traditional journalism. Throughout her tenure, Trisha has focused on the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. She frequently covers personal finance and real estate struggles in hubs like Gurgaon, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, while also documenting the unique challenges of the NRI experience. Her work often highlights the movements and philosophies of global newsmakers and personalities like Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, Nikhil Kamath, Dubai crown prince, and MrBeast. From reporting on Amazon or Meta layoffs and startup culture to the emergence of AI-driven platforms like Grok and xAI, she provides a grounded and empathetic perspective on the stories shaping our world. When not decoding the internet, Trisha is likely offline: lost in a book, exploring a historical ruin, or navigating the world as a solo traveler. She balances her fast-paced career with family time and a healthy dose of curiosity, currently trading her "human" sources for silicon ones as she masters AI to future-proof her storytelling.Read More

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